Always be honest with your doctor during appointments

Why you should always be honest with your doctor (Photo: iStock)

You all must be aware of what transpires between you and your doctor. It all starts with you making an appointment. The consultation process often begins with some trivial niceties, and the rest follows from there.

What guides the doctor subsequently is your medical story. This simply means that you open up and give relevant details related to your ailments.

Sufficient detail must be forthcoming to enable your doctor to piece everything together and come up with some recommendations. But all too often, you may feel compelled to withhold some information.

Does it matter if you are not completely honest? It is entirely up to you to decide what to bring up. Remember your doctor cannot read your mind. They can only make deductions from what you volunteer. But what you hold back may be critical to guiding your diagnosis. If in doubt, just bring it up and let your doctor work out whether it’s relevant to your symptoms.

If you cannot get yourself to give all the relevant information, then just don’t bother. It will end up being a wasted consultation, and will not take you any closer to getting appropriate help.

Why do some folks find it hard to convey all the relevant medical info? Some details may be embarrassing and unnerving to disclose. But always remember that your doctor is really only interested in piecing stuff together and helping you out. Find a way of saying the most embarrassing bits in a manner that still maintains your dignity and self-esteem. Almost all is forgotten the minute you walk out, and someone else enters with an entirely different problem.

What about concerns with confidentiality? You should not really worry about this. Doctors are bound by medical law and ethics, which they must uphold at all times. Anything you discuss with your doctor is deemed confidential.

It can never be disclosed to any third parties without explicit consent from you. So say whatever it is with confidence, it will never get beyond you and your doctor. If you ever suspect any breaches in your medical confidentiality, you must always seek redress with utmost urgency. Any guilty parties become liable.

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Go ahead then and maximize gains in your medical encounters by volunteering as much information as necessary.

Resist the temptation to colour it up with anecdotes that might appear interesting, but are in real sense a distraction. Say it as it is; short, simple and factual. If you want to withhold anything, be absolutely sure it’s of no relevance to your medical condition.