What Do Patients Really Want From Their Doctors?

A recent study has proven what we-as patients-want, and it won’t come as any surprise: more communication! 90% of patients said they want their doctors to listen to them; only 25% wanted a prescription, and 60% wanted an examination (Southampton University in UK). Previous research from the University of Connecticut has shown that the effectiveness of drugs depends largely on the relationship and amount of time doctors spend with the patient. The longer the consultation, the more effective the medications.

We asked some of you what you want and the answers may leave you nodding in agreement more than surprise.

• That he have more time to spend with me to thoroughly answer my questions. When he’s rushed I feel pressured and afraid to ask questions or I forget. -Name withheld
• For him to listen to me, not just hear me. I’ve recently had to be hospitalized, because he wasn’t listening to what I was telling him. I guess he thought I was just an old man with chronic aches and pains, but I nearly died. -Na’Ho’Ka, NM
• I would send him back to medical school to learn more about chronic pain and how to treat it. There are a lot of doctors out there that are not getting adequate training in pain-management.
  -Marsha, WA
• For her to desire to learn about what I have and treat it as a whole, not individual symptoms.
  -Leonie, Australia
• That he would understand that for me, doing procedures just to be doing something, is not management of pain. -Name withheld
• I feel like one of a herd and he is just trying to get us all through the line. He overbooks and is too busy to spend time explaining what is causing my chronic back pain. -Shirley, AK
• That they believe chemical sensitivities exist, and that’s it not all in my head. I have a somewhat unique perspective as I am in med school myself to become a doctor.
  -Maxine, WA
• For him to write down things as I say them. Some times he doesn’t write anything down and it’s frustrating. -Joni, CA
• Her accessibility. First I have to talk to a receptionist who decides if I can talk to a nurse; then the nurse asks various questions to decide if the doctor should be notified. She promises to “leave the doctor a note and ask for answers.” Nine times out ten I do not actually hear from the doctor. -Christal, MI
• His work schedule. He works too hard and long and then when he takes a vacation it is not long enough for him to revive himself. -Bonnie
• For him to be more willing to try treatments that I want to try rather than just what is tried and true.
  -Debra, PA
• The amount of time he has with patients. Many doctors schedule patients every fifteen minutes and that is rarely enough time, especially for those with chronic illnesses. -Nici, TX
  I would change him into a man who listens most willingly with his ears, his mind, his heart, his understanding. Most importantly, he would listen to the Creator of us all who has all the answers. -Judith Rose
• For him to trade places with me for one week. Then I believe I would see a difference in his compassion and understanding of someone who lives with constant pain. The off-handed remarks about “now, now, it can’t be all that bad” or “there are others worse off than you” may just have a second thought. His compassion may be more sincere and his willingness to try another approach may be more open. -Karen, Ontario, Canada
• That she would see her patients on time and not make them wait anywhere from two to four hours.-Sheila, AR
• His extremely rude, non-empathetic staff. He’s been my surgeon for seven years and I have heard all the other “horror” stories from patients sitting in the waiting room too. -Patty,
• That he understand I am losing weight as quickly as I can. After losing 100 pounds he is still at me to lose more. -Joann, MA

What do you want from your doctor or medical team? Share in the comments below!