Notwithstanding my medical knowledge and experience, I sat there quite helpless and powerless. Eventually, as I suspected, I was able to confirm that I did not have cancer. A large body of research suggests specific behaviors that patients can adopt to improve their health and satisfaction. For example, in a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, diabetic patients who were taught to be more proactive with their physicians ended up feeling healthier and actually being healthier. Within a month of learning to become more involved and willing to negotiate with their physicians, the patients showed statistically significant improvements in their blood sugar control without an increase in medication.
Physicians often perceive patients' assertive behavior as difficult or hostile.
But patients can be assertive without being confrontational, Dr. Ainsworth-Vaughn said. Dr. Klea Bertakis at the University of California at Davis discovered in a study of more than 500 patients that the major determinant of patient satisfaction was ''patient activation,'' which meant that the patients asked questions, initiated discussions about what they knew or believed about health and disease, and discussed topics of importance, even if unrelated to the focus of the visit. Despite the hurried nature of doctor visits in this era of managed care, this last point is important because, in this same study, improvements in patients' health correlated to how well the patients and physicians discussed the current emotional state and relationships of the patients and their families. As a physician, I have found a few other patient behaviors to be particularly helpful. People who spend some time before their doctor's appointment thinking about their symptoms and their concerns create a much more efficient, and mutually satisfactory doctor-patient interaction.