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4 mistakes your doctor wishes you’d stop making

Discover four common habits to avoid so you can communicate clearly, follow treatment instructions, and get the right care from your doctor

National Cancer Institute / Unsplash

Most people want to be good patients. They show up for appointments, take their prescriptions and try to follow medical advice. But health care is complicated, and it is easy to fall into habits that can make care harder than it needs to be. Sometimes the mistake is small, such as staying quiet when you do not understand something. Other times, it can have more serious consequences, such as stopping a prescription as soon as you feel better.

The good news is that many of these habits are easy to change.

The Healthy spoke with doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals about common mistakes they see from patients. Their advice covers everything from choosing the right provider to knowing when not to trust an internet search. The common thread is communication: Your health care team needs accurate information from you, and you need to understand what they are telling you.

That does not mean you should blindly follow every instruction without asking questions. In fact, one of the source article’s key recommendations is to speak up when something does not make sense. Asking for clarification can help you understand a diagnosis, treatment plan or next step.

The same principle applies after an emergency room visit. If you leave without understanding what you are supposed to do next, ask. Additionally, if you are taking prescription medication, feeling better does not necessarily mean the treatment is finished. The Healthy notes that patients should continue medications for as long as they are prescribed unless their........

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