How to be a great patient – Top 10 list Published Nov. 21, 2008 By Col. John Mansfield 375th Medical Operations Squadron commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- At a recent trip to the Barber Shop, I was surprised by the large amount of gray hair around my feet. Did all of that come from my head? Gray hair doesn't lie and I had to admit to myself that I am older than I used to be. I graduated medical school 18 years ago and through the years, I have interacted with literally thousands of patients. Most patient visits go very well but a few are challenging. What makes for a great doctor and patient visit? Here are my top 10 ways to ensure that your interactions with the 375th Medical Group and your health care providers are successful. How to be a great patient (from a physician's perspective) - Top 10 List #10 Cancel appointments you are unable to keep . In the month of September, the 375th MDG had 78 "no show" appointments. This is the equivalent of three days of work for one provider. Other patients need these appointments. If at all possible, call 24 hours in advance. If this is not possible, even calling up to two hours prior to the appointment time gives us the option of filling that appointment with another patient. #9 Expect great service/give us feedback. Every 375th MDG staff member strives to provide you with great customer care and service. Health care is a complex business and many times we interact with you during some of the most difficult moments in your life. We work hard to make your interactions with the 375th MDG pleasant, effective and efficient. We need to hear both the good and bad from you. Please take the time to fill out survey forms which are found in the all the clinics. We do act on your feedback as best as we can. #8 Pay close attention to your own body. Just as you act on a new noise coming from the engine compartment of your car in order to avoid an expensive repair bill, let us evaluate you for concerning symptoms and changes to your body. For example, coughs that persist more than five to seven days, unexplained weight loss, persistent fevers, bloody urine, a growing lump or bump or a changing skin mole or lesion are examples of symptoms and physical changes that we need to see and evaluate. If you have questions and do not know if you should be seen, you can call your primary care manager and a nurse or provider will be able to further guide your actions. #7 Prepare for appointments - write down questions/ask questions. Most of us have had the experience of remembering important questions for our health care providers as we walk across the parking lot back to the car after the appointment. As you prepare for the appointment, write down important issues that you need to discuss. Start a personal medical journal. Prepare well and make the most of this valuable time. #6 Listen to your health care provider. Just as your provider should listen to your issues, you should listen to the advice and counsel of your health care provider. These dedicated professionals have spent six to 12 years of their adult lives preparing through rigorous education to give you good, sound advice about your health. If you have questions, ask. If you do not agree with the advice, discuss your concerns with your provider. #5 Get smart about your health conditions. Informed and educated patients understand their conditions and illnesses better and they will be more compliant with treatment recommendations. Get Smart. How? Start at reputable websites such as WEBMD, the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. Anyone can publish information to the internet. Much of the medical information on the web is questionable. Big national organizations screen their material and make sure it is valid and useful. For almost every disease, there is a national foundation with a website loaded with great information. #4 Carry a list of current medications, allergies, major illnesses and major surgeries with you. Our electronic medical record is only as good as the data in it. Just because you picked up a medication at the base pharmacy does not mean you necessarily take the medication. Many patients pick up medications at civilian pharmacies or use over-the-counter medications as well. It is hugely helpful for your health care providers for you to know what medications you actually take every day. A simple list helps us keep you and your family safe. #3 Understand the difference between acute and chronic issues. If you believe you are experiencing life, limb, eye-sight threatening conditions or other major diseases or injuries, go to any emergency room as no prior authorization is needed. As you call for medical appointments, your understanding of the concepts of acute versus chronic conditions will help us take better care of you by directing you to appropriate care. Acute medical conditions typically have a fairly rapid onset and most likely will improve with straight forward medical interventions. While it is impossible to make a complete list, typical acute illness or injuries include severe sore throats, a worsening ear ache, a skin rash, a persistent productive cough, persistent fevers, painful urination, severe diarrhea or vomiting, minor cuts and sprained ankles and knees. These and other acute issues need to be seen within 24 hrs to serve you best. If we do not have acute appointments available, you may be referred to a local urgent care center for these types of complaints. You must be referred to an urgent care center in order for Tricare to pay the bill. Chronic diseases such a diabetes, high blood pressure, long-term back pain, long-term heartburn and asthma are best seen within seven days of your requests and should be seen here at the 375th MDG. Continuity for these long-term, chronic, potentially life-long illnesses leads to the best health care. You may experience an acute flare up of a chronic condition such as back pain or kidney stones. When you call, discuss the entire situation with the person making the appointment and every effort will be made to have you see your assigned provider. Once again, continuity will lead to the best health outcomes for chronic conditions. #2 Understand that prevention really does work. Simple things make a huge difference to lessen your risk of injury and disease. Wash your hands often (especially during flu season), get your immunizations, exercise regularly, eat appropriately, lose those extra pounds, wear seat belts and use child safety seats, use appropriate safety gear for your activities, drink alcohol responsibly and do not smoke or quit smoking. Keep those appointments for mammograms, pap smears, colon cancer screening and well child care. Dull and boring? Maybe... Effective? Yes. #1 Value continuity over convenience. Continuity is defined by you and your family seeing the same one to two providers all the time for your health care needs. Due to deployments and moves, our ability to provide this continuity of care to you and your family is challenging, however we are making significant changes in the 375th MDG to improve our ability to provide this essential continuity. Our primary care managers are being placed on small teams. When you call for appointments, especially for routine or chronic health issues, we will do everything possible to direct you to your team. As a healthy relationship builds between your team and your family, we are confident that your quality of care will improve. Occasions will arise when you would like a 10 a.m. appointment for convenience, but the team can only offer a 2 p.m. appointment. In this case, we ask you value continuity over convenience and accept the 2 p.m. appointment. We will be working hard to not make appointments for you outside of your team. As each team will be fully engaged caring for their own patients, you may be sent off base to an urgent care center for minor, acute issues. Times will come when one of the team providers deploys. In this scenario, we will backfill as best we can and utilize the support of other teams and downtown providers. Remember, continuity will lead to the best health care and continuity trumps convenience. Thank you for the great support to your 375th MDG!