In a perfect world, you and your doctor would be on the same page about everything. He or she would understand everything you share and would give you easily understood instructions that make you feel good. However, life and medical care does not always work out this way. Despite your best intentions to take care of your body perfectly and to do exactly what your doctor says, you may sometimes fail. In addition, despite your doctor’s best intentions to take plenty of time to listen to your concerns, he or she may not always give you advice that you love or want to follow. One of the biggest reasons for this seeming disconnect in the medical setting is non-disclosure of medical information.
Refusal to Share Pertinent Medical Information
Patient non-disclosure of medical information occurs when you purposely or accidentally fail to share pertinent parts of your medical or surgical history with your doctor or when you leave out information that could affect your current or future care. A study completed in 2015 looked at over 4,000 individuals who visited their doctors. The survey sought to discover how many patients failed to share pertinent information. The survey showed that a majority of patients failed to share at least one type of information with their doctors. Occasionally, this was information about medication they were taking. Others did not tell their doctors when they did not understand instructions. At times, this non-sharing of information was purposeful. At other times, it was accidental. However, no matter why it happens, it could have detrimental effects on the outcomes of your healthcare or surgeries.
Problems with Understanding and/or Following the Doctor’s Instructions
One of the key problems discovered in this study was that many people have trouble understanding their doctor’s instructions. However, they may feel ashamed to share this information with the doctor, or the doctor may not give them time to discuss their confusion during the appointment. However, when you do not understand your doctor’s instructions, you may fail to do something important for your health. The results could be a variety of symptoms that leave you miserable or that land you in the hospital.
It is always important that you understand and follow your doctor’s instructions completely. For example, after certain surgical procedures, you may have to follow instructions on:
- Help with child care duties
- Not performing high intensity activities athe the gym until cleared by Dr. Jeneby
- No petting or handling of animals
- No lifting over 10 pounds for 10 days
- Taking all antibiotics as prescribed
- Not smoking or vaping
- Not taking Motrin, Inbuprofen or anything except Tylenol
Get All the Facts
We invite you to visit the office of Thomas T. Jeneby, MD and discover how great a healthy relationship with a doctor can be. Contact us today to book a consultation in San Antonio. For more information, click here.
