Module 14: Working with your Doctor/Health Care Team

Team Members:

Your health care team is made up of the professional who provide your medical treatment and health care. A health care team can include (a):

Nurse educator Dietitian Pharmacist Social worker Case-manager Community health worker Counselors General health doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant Doctor or nurse practitioner who specializes in the care of diabetes

It is important for a person living with diabetes to establish and maintain good communication with their health care team members. Most health care providers want to get the most out of the visit time they have and stay on schedule, so that they are able to see all of their patients that day. One way to help get the most out of a visit to your doctor/health care provider is to take P.A.R.T. This stands for Prepare, Ask, Repeat and Take action.

Prepare: Before you go in for a visit or make a phone call to your provider, make a list of the issues you would like to discuss. You should then prioritize your concerns, because it’s possible you may only have time to discuss your top 2 or 3 items.

State your issues at the beginning of your visit so that there is time to properly address them. Be prepared to negotiate, as your provider may have some things he/she wants to follow up on.

Prepare the information that you would like to share and that you think your provider would like to see. This may include your blood sugar log, blood pressure readings, diet/food journal, action plan on exercise, or anything else that provides a quick overview of your self-care efforts.

Ask: Ask questions, especially if you do not understand a test, treatment or some general information your provider is giving you.

Repeat: Repeating information back allows you to check to see if you understood correctly. It also lets the provider know that you heard correctly (or incorrectly, in which case they could correct the misunderstanding). An example is: “I’m not sure I heard you right; did you say that I should check my blood sugar before every meal for 2 weeks only?”

Take Action: It’s especially important to have a clear idea of what you will do next. If it is helpful, ask your provider to write down instructions or recommend further information/reading materials. If you don’t feel you can do what is being asked, be honest and let your provider know. For example, “I won’t be able to take the aspirin because it causes a bad upset stomach.” Now your provider can work with you to potentially find other options.

What to Expect:

When you see your provider about your diabetes, you can expect that they will want to know about your:

Blood sugar readings Symptoms of high or low blood sugar Any worrisome symptoms that could indicate a complication of diabetes (Reviewed in modules: 10, 11, 12, & 13)

They will also order tests to ensure you are staying healthy and not developing long term problems. These tests may be for heart disease, eye, foot, kidney or other problems.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Health Care Visit

Write down questions/concerns or issues you wish to bring up with your provider (keep an on-going list in a handy location) Bring a friend/family member with you during your appointment to help ensure you get your key questions addressed (and to help you remember the information) Bring in any information that you have been monitoring (blood sugar readings, blood pressure readings, exercise log, diet/food log, symptom log, etc.) Write down notes during the visit to remind yourself later of what you discussed Make sure you have a follow-up plan for when you will call or come back

Diabetes Standards of Care Schedule

(ADA Recommendations)

Once
Pneumococcal vaccine
Every visit
Blood pressure Weight Foot Check
Every 3 months
A-1-C Test Regular visits to your diabetes care provider Regular visits to your dentist
Every year
HDL, LDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol: (more often if checking on/adjusting medications) Kidneys: micro albumin measured Eyes: dilated eye exam Feet: more often in patients with high-risk foot conditions (neuropathy, vascular disease) Flu shot Review meal plan Update with a diabetes educator
Every 2 years