Nayonika Chakraborty
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Written By: Nayonika Chakraborty | Published : July 1, 2019 12:01 PM IST
Healthcare provider's positive thinking may impact the outcome for his patient. © Shutterstock
The first Doctor's Day was observed in 1933. The trend was started by the wife of a physician who observed it by mailing cards to physicians and their wives, placing flowers on deceased doctors' graves and formal dinners. Since then, we have come a long way. The way this day is celebrated has changed but the value remains the same.
Doctor's Day is celebrated on different days in different countries. But every country commemorates doctors and the medical industry and its advancements on this day. National Doctor's Day in India is celebrated on July 1 every year as a tribute to the legendary physician and Bharat Ratna recipient, Dr. Bidhand Chandra Roy, who was also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. This day emphasizes on the restless efforts of doctors and the dramatic improvements made in the medical field in India.
Doctors are extremely busy people, so much so that they don't have time even for themselves. As a result, they are compelled to keep their sessions short so that they can do justice to as many patients as they can. Therefore, it is very important to get the most out of your visit to the doctor's clinic in a short span of time. To do this, you must give precise information about your illness and symptoms and also ask the right questions.
On National Doctor's Day 2019, we guide you on the questions that you must ask your physician when you visit his chamber.
The first thing you need to ask your doctor is about the diagnosis. Try to get a clear idea about what is wrong with you. For this, you have to be clear about your symptoms. Ask about the risk factors and how you could have got this disease. Also, it's good to be clear about how you can prevent the condition from relapsing.
You need to know how your condition can cause complications in your daily life and activities. Ask if you can go to work or if you need to recuperate at home. This is important because you don't take the proper precaution your condition can become much worse. Also, if your disease can spread to others, it is better to know if you need to avoid other people.
Before proceeding with a particular treatment, you should ask about all the available options. There are a lot of options available nowadays and it is essential for you to know about them so that you and your doctor can together zero down on a single solution and rule out others. This will not only help you feel empowered but you will also gain the necessary information needed to take a decision.
No matter how eligible, trusting your doctor blindly is not a good option. You should ask about the medication or line of treatment prescribed by the doctor so as to gain complete awareness about your condition and what you will be putting your body through. Knowing about how their prescription is going to affect your body is also important before going through with ant treatment procedure.
It is very important to know about any possible side effects before you go forward with any line of treatment or medication. Facing these effects later without any prior knowledge about them can easily scare you and bring you back to the doctor for another visit.
You should not only visit your doctor when the need arises but also plan regular visits. It is important to be proactive about your health and preplan your next visit by asking your doctor about it. This will help you live as healthily as possible by preventing any possible diseases beforehand.
Ask your doctor about any possible areas that you may need to work on before you visit again. This will help you to take preventive care. Your doctor will be able to chart out your dos and don'ts which will help you to look after your health better. He may also suggest a battery of diagnostic tests.
This is a very important question. Most laboratory results use a lot of medical terminologies and difficult to understand terms. Ask your doctor to explain it to you in simple language. This will give you a better understanding of your condition.
Tests and other courses of treatment can be very expensive and getting an idea about what it will cost you is important knowledge. By talking about this to your doctor, you can find other treatment options that may be lighter on your pocket especially if your condition is not covered by insurance.
With the spread of the internet, anyone can search about their symptoms and gain knowledge. But there are a number of sites providing all kinds of information that have no guarantee of reliability. It is always better to ask your doctor about sites that can be trusted with accurate medical information to avoid misconceptions.
If your doctor recommends a surgery, ask him everything about the procedure, starting from the pros and cons to the pre-and post-operation precautions and care. Know everything before giving your consent.
Asking your doctor if it is an emergency situation and should be dealt with right away or if it can wait is a good idea. This will help you understand the gravity of your condition.
After getting over your condition, you should make it a point to ask if there are chances of it happening again or if there are measures you can take to prevent it. It is important to be proactive about your health before you reach a point where your condition gets worse.
Ask your doctor what they do to maintain their own health and wellness. Striking a conversation about how they keep healthy can help you. Learning that they too lead a healthy lifestyle can motivate you to also do the same and stay healthy.
