Throughout this month, the COPD Foundation will be focusing on communication. I thought we'd start out by looking at something we should all do—keep routine appointments, either in person or via tele-visit, with our health care provider.
Most routine office appointments allow for 15 minutes. If you have COPD, how can you possibly tell your doc everything you should, talk together about it, then leave the office understanding what you're supposed to do between then and your next appointment? Let's listen in on two routine office visit scenarios with fictional COPD patients: Darlene and Jack.
Darlene
Doctor: "How have you been doing since I saw you last time here in the office?”
Darlene: “Well, I don’t know…I think my breathing is worse, but I’m not sure… I have good days and bad days…I cough sometimes— it’s terrible—and I can’t stop. But then I seem to get over it. A lot of the time I’m clogged up and my breathing feels tight. I even have to sleep in the chair sometimes. And I can’t seem to do what I use to do.”
Jack
Doctor: "How have you been doing since I saw you last time here in the office?”
Jack: “Well, my oxygen saturations are about two points lower now when I walk on the treadmill than they were six months ago. My cough is about the same—I cough mostly first thing in the morning and bring up some thick, clear mucous about the size of a quarter. But once I’m done with that, I breathe better. About a month ago I had to sleep in the chair for a couple nights, but I increased my rescue inhaler to four times a day for a few days—like you said I could—and now I can sleep in bed again with no problem. Here's a list of some things I do around the house and how easy, or how hard, it is for me to do them.”
Between Darlene and Jack, who do you think is going to have a more productive office visit? Which one of these individuals with COPD is providing more information to the doctor, allowing more time for a meaningful discussion, and the development of an effective treatment plan?
If you guessed Jack, you’re right! How does he do it? No, Jack's not a rocket scientist. He spends just a few minutes each day to pay attention to, and record, his COPD symptoms, oxygen saturations, and medications. And then he comes to appointments with his health care provider, prepared.
Are you more like Darlene or Jack? Do you feel as though you and your health care provider communicate effectively at office appointments? If you're more like Jack, could it be that were once more like Darlene? If so, what did you do to make that change? Let' talk! I look forward to hearing from you!
Next week we'll take a look at some ways to be well-prepared for a routine office appointment with your health care provider, including the updated COPD Foundation Pocket Consultant app.