Health

What's Up,

A Ford physician

reminds doctors

and patients

that communication

is a two-way street.

Drs. Subburaman
Sivakumar and
Deirdre Cthirborne
listen to Dr. Marla
Rowe Gorosh discuss
patient care.

.

.......

SHARI S. COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

hat do you do if your doctor or
the receptionist at the medical
office calls you by your first
IVIIT name?" Dr. Marla Rowe Gorosh
asked an audience recently. "Call him George
or call her Sally," shot back one member of the
audience.
Dr. Gorosh smiled. "Using first names for

both medical staff and patient establishes you
as equals. It sets an interactive pattern, but it
might seem confrontational to some doctors,"
she said.
Dr. Gorosh, a family practitioner, advises diplo-
macy and a spirit of partnership to break down
communication barriers between patients and
health care professionals. The doctor-patient rela-
tionship has been a paternalistic or dominating
model, she says. Gorosh wants to improve physi-
cian communication, especially the way that doc-

cation between you and your doctor will help him/her
est quality of h.ealth care for you.
During the visit, feel free to ask any questions you have. If you don't
understand something, ask for a clearer explanation, in language that
you : can. understand. It is important for you to understand all the
options for any choices, and to be open about your feelings or con-
cerns.
The following questions can help guide you and your doctor as you
discuss future treatment plans:
• What happens next today?

tors approach patients.
As a patient advocate at the Free Peoples
Clinic in Ann Arbor in the 1970s, Dr. Gorosh
realized that `too many people hate their doc-
tors and are afraid of hospitals. I wanted to
change things so I went to medical school."
"If you don't have good information, a good
medical history, you won't get a good diagnosis
and patient follow-up," Dr. Gorosh says. She
believes that physicians can be taught inter-
viewing skills and implements her ideas as

• What happens after today?
• What tests are being done and why?
• Is there any preparation I need to do?
• When will the test results be available?
• How will I get the results? When should I return or call back?
• What changes should I be looking for?
• For what type of concerns should I call you?
• What can I do to prevent this from happening again?
• Are there other health care professionals I should be seeing?
• Can I continue any other therapies I am using?
• Do I need to make any lifestyle changes?
— American Academy on Physician and Patient

10/8

1999

Detroit Jewish News

101