Are you afraid of going to see your doctor to discuss your medical symptoms? Half of all Americans say they are.
This surprising finding is made in a survey by OnePoll for PatientPoint, a patient engagement portal, of 2,005 people across the United States.
Interestingly, more women (57%) than men (45%) dread discussing their health conditions with their physician. They say they feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed before an appointment with their doctor.
Sources of stress
The obvious question is: Why are people so stressed about going to see a physician?
Here are the answers given by respondents to the poll:
• They are worried about what their healthcare provider will say about their symptoms.
• They are afraid that they will fail to understand the technical terms that their healthcare provider will use.
• They worry their healthcare provider will become angry or feel insulted if they push them to find out more about their health condition.
• They would feel better about going to see their healthcare provider if they knew how to describe their symptoms better.
• They feel that they do not have sufficient information in order to help them prepare for their visit.
• They have felt dissatisfied on previous visits to their physician and fear that another visit will produce the same results. When they were given information about their condition on a previous appointment, they left feeling confused. They clearly believe they will have a similar experience on another visit and still gain no clarity on what is causing their symptoms.
More detailed information
More than half of the respondents to the poll say they wish their physician would discuss their medication and treatments in more detail. They also wish their healthcare provider would provide them with more educational material regarding their symptoms.
The survey also revealed that the fear of a visit to the doctor starts when a patient walks in the door even before they see their healthcare provider.
The waiting room as well as the examination room cause them to be anxious and stressed, they say.
They say it takes too long to sit in the waiting room before being called for their appointment. The long time they have to wait in the examination room before their physician arrives is also a major cause of stress, the respondents say.
Intimidating to engaging
Doctors need to do more to reassure their patients, says Mike Collette, founder and CEO of PatientPoint. Changing the doctors’ office from being intimidating to being engaging starts by putting yourself in the patient’s shoes, he suggests.
Healthcare providers should use technology more effectively so that patients are given the relevant education that they need on their condition. Patients should be encouraged to ask questions, to speak up, and to learn more about their treatment options, Collette adds.
The more that doctors can provide content that is relevant to patients at the time of care and beyond the more patients will understand and accept the doctors’ advice.
The result, Collette says, will be that the patients’ lives will be healthier.
