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MY CLINICHi esteemed readers! This time round, I thought, I must write about a very important part of our HIV survival programme that we ignore at our peril. I write about how you and your doctor talk to each other.
The relationship between patient and clinic is cardinal if you are to get maximum benefit from HIV treatments and associated services. Too many times we patients living with HIV or Aids have an 'attitude': we give orders about our treatment to subservient clinic staff. We do not realise that we will get the best out of it if we have a real relationship with our clinic - a professional one, but a relationship nonetheless.
Of course we patients have every right and expectation regarding access to lifesaving services and how we expect to be treated. But too often I think we fail to realise that staff are people too. Please get me right - I am not trying to say we are all rude and inconsiderate, but in my experience that is sometimes the way we go about things.
I will give you a few examples. Each time I ask a colleague, "Are you OK? You don't look too well," the answer I get is "Well, next time I go, my Doctor will see exactly how I feel about that!" As if the illness was their doctor's fault. As if there was no responsibility on their part to describe symptoms, give information, do nothing but sit there with a grudge and say "I'm not well, you sort me out".
Now what benefit does one get when you go to see your own Doctor with a grudge? Nothing! The doctor will feel frustrated. All they know is that somehow their treatment plan is not working. Your file will simply show on every visit: "Unwell. Non-specific symptoms." They may think the 'wonderdrugs' are not working for you when it's actually a quite different problem.
This leads to a complete breakdown of the trust between the two. Sometimes you end up misleading doctors by not giving them the accurate information they need to plan your treatment.
The English adage is very right: 'charity begins at home'. Some individuals can't even treat their own partners well, not even with a warm greeting in the morning, just complaints. If we have a wrong attitude towards our partners or children, how are we expected to behave well to outsiders or just people we meet in public?
It's
this same attitude of complaint that carries over up to the clinic. This is very
unfortunate indeed. If you have this attitude the reception staff might even dread
dealing with you. The moment you enter the clinic maybe they even get scared:
"Only God knows what s/he will say or demand now!" So please let's learn to smile
and be warm. It is for our benefit.
I will give an example of myself - each time I enter my clinic for my quarterly review or 'MOT', well, I get a good feeling that they can't wait to find out how I am coping with my situation, how my children are coping and especially my beloved Judy, work, and lastly my love life. Sometimes I feel like Father Christmas delivering presents, especially chocolates!
By maintaining this good relationship with the doctors and clinic staff, I have had nothing but benefit from the services they can offer. If I have needed anything done by the clinic they actually move at supersonic speed and when I phone to request something and they promise to phone back, they just do that. Enquiries and other letters sent to my clinic by external agencies are promptly attended to.
Through developing a sound relationship with them I have been able to access many things, especially information. As Londoners say, I am a cool patient and dealing with me is 'sweet'!
For this I must commend doctors and staff for the efficient job they are doing. My appeal to you all is to give doctors and staff that extra smile and you will surely get the best out of each other. At your next appointment - smile!!
