How to Talk to Your Doctor with Laurie Callen, Medical Educator

We welcome Laurie Callen, Director of Communication Skills Education at New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine and published author. She helps us synthesize some of the conversations we’ve had on recent episodes about the U.S. Healthcare System. Our conversation focuses on what we can do.

Laurie helps adult learners and medical professionals utilize the power of a health care moment to create excellent communication and connection.

She shares with us multiple strategies to effectively talk to our doctors and achieve clear,  intentional communication. She reminds us of our shared humanity and the need for empathy on all sides. Finally, she gives great advice on how to prepare for a visit, how to create a healthcare team, and the importance of mindfulness in how we receive information.

Connect with Laurie on Instagram: @laurie.s.callen

As promised, your guide to prepare for a medical visit:

Before visit:
- Have the story clear in my mind or written out
- How am I coping with this? How is this affecting me? 
- Be ready to share information not asked. You didn’t ask me this, and I would like to share with you...  You didn’t ask me this, but I would like you to know… My theory about this issue is...

Common questions clinicians ask (OPQRST): 

Onset of symptoms: When did it start? What else did I notice when it started? 

Provoking/Palliating symptoms: What makes it worse? What makes it better? 

Quality of symptoms: What does it feel like? Use words to describe the pain such as sharp, dull, stabbing, burning, crushing, throbbing, nauseating, shooting, twisting or stretching.

Region/Radiation: Where is the pain located? Does the pain radiate? Does it feel like it travels/moves around? Did it start elsewhere and is now localized to one spot

Severity: On a scale 1-10 how intense is the pain? 10 being worst pain in your life.

Timing of symptoms: How long did it last? How often does it occur? Is it sudden or gradual? When do you usually experience it? Is it accompanied by other signs or symptoms? Does it occur surrounding meals? Does it occur seasonally?

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