Every week, through social media comments, DMs and the Sickleverse community, I receive questions that I can’t answer.
Questions like:
The questions aren’t complicated, but I can’t give a useful answer because there isn’t enough information.
For example, “My PCV is 25%. Is that okay?” may seem like a simple yes/no question at first glance.
But when I read it as a doctor, my brain immediately starts generating more questions.
And suddenly, one simple question has created another eight.
Because medicine is about context. Someone driving at 70 mph has a very different meaning depending on whether they’re on a motorway or a residential road.
Good doctors understand that context changes the meaning of the information you give.
One thing I learned from being a doctor is that patients often underestimate how much of a diagnosis actually comes from them.
Doctors aren’t god-like beings that magically know what’s wrong with anyone who enters their vicinity.
You hold a huge amount of the information your doctor needs and relies on.
The more efficiently you can communicate that information, the quicker you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.
You might be thinking, that’s all well and good, but I’m not a doctor. How am I supposed to know all the medical information they need?
But you don’t need to become your own doctor for this to work.
Because when it comes to your health, you’ve already had a lifetime of study.
What you need is a simple framework to communicate that to doctors.
Try this.
The next time you’re asking a healthcare professional about a new problem, try to answer these six questions yourself first:
Write these down and have them to hand with you if it helps.
It takes a bit of extra time and energy when you’re already feeling unwell or stressed about a loved one’s illness. But you’ll get much better outcomes if you do this.
When receiving results, you can also ask your doctor questions such as:
I also understand that sometimes the problem is the healthcare system itself.
You may only get a few minutes with a doctor. You may be handed a blood result without an explanation. You may not have regular access to a sickle cell specialist at all.
That’s precisely why these skills matter.
And sometimes you may even see a doctor who doesn’t have much experience of sickle cell. The information you provide may be what helps them recognise that they need to read further, check a guideline or ask a more experienced colleague.
So to conclude, what I’m saying is that you don’t need a medical degree to take a more active role in your healthcare.
You just need to understand that your story is part of the diagnostic process.
The doctor brings the medical knowledge.
You bring the information about what has been happening to you.
And good healthcare needs both.
Stay Healthy,
Lewis
