Medical office visit companions boost care satisfaction

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Medical office visit companions boost care satisfaction

Reuters Health is reporting a study in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine showing that elderly people who bring along a companion when they visit their doctor may be more satisfied with the care they receive than those who go it alone.
My Take?
I’ve always recommended people bring a loved one or trusted friend to their office visits. 
Doctors find that companions can help with communication by jotting down the doctor’s comments and instructions, share information about the patient’s medical condition with the doctor, ask questions, and help remember and explain the doctor’s instructions.
Companions can help reduce medical errors, assist with transportation, provide company and moral support, help schedule appointments, and, when needed, provide physical assistance.

You can learn more about becoming your own healthcare quarterback and reducing medical errors in my books 10 Essentials of Highly Healthy People or God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Person.

 

0 Comments

  1. […] you are heading to the doctor’s office that you might want to persuade a friend to tag along. As I blogged last week, new research suggests that older adults who bring companions to medical visits are more satisfied […]

  2. Norm says:

    My wife and I attend all of each others exams.We both have found more information is retained. Questions asked by the spouse are frequently very helpful to the physician.
    We are confident we get and retain as much information as possible during the visit. I beleive everyone who so disires, should have a companion or family member at their exams.

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