310 LSU Student Dr. Baton Rouge, La, 70803 Phone: (504)-723-2247 April 23, 2017 Mr, Pat Smith 1325 Oakwood Dr. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73008 Dear Mr. Smith: As a patient’s rights advocate, itis my duty to ensure that all patients receive the help and service they deserve. I am glad to have stumbled upon your particular case study because health communication is an issue that cannot seem to resolve itself. Communication between the health provider and the patient is not always smoothly going, but itis the most important step in receiving the help that you deserve. Your case is very similar to others, Within the fact that the doctor is usually rushing out the door so conversations are cut short. Those conversations are the base of getting what is need from your health care provider. Coming across your case study, which embeds the actual conversation between you and Dr. Jones, made me dig deeper to find 4 solutions to better these overseen issues. insert into about roiw Going back to the conversation between you and Dr. Jones, itis clear that there were major communication issues. He repeatedly cut you off in the middle of your sentences. In addition, he asked you multiple close-ended questions, maybe trying to pinpoint solutions. You were not able to fully explain the back pain you had as well as you needed to because of this. Even though you ‘weren't being heard completely, you did make attempts to speak. You tried telling him the pain had spread and about the aspirin you were taking. As a patient, you played your role by telling de MdYbe INC COM?Issues in Health Communication ~ | [1] & Gabrielle Hemandez Louisiana State University Author's note: This Rogerian Letter was written in paper addresses issues raised in the ease stud Communications in Practice: A Case Study ENGL 2001 for Professor Coco. This “The First Three Minutes,” published in Health (proach, debe seen, Maybe, in your case, Dr. Jones had many more patients that needed to be helped. I'm infest the way he serviced you was proper, but pethaps he was trying to get as much information out of you as possible, He was cuting you of because he didn’t have the time to, Back in the day, doctors were able to spend more tine with patients. and they do have to rush, which has obviously created fesse in healt You to know that your health is the main focus of these appointments. The little time you do have with Dr. Jones or any health care provider is extremely important, Ifthe doctor is cutting you off and neglecting you, tha is where patients have to play separate role, You have to tell the doctor your health issues, but you also have to be authoritative if necessary. In your case, Mr. Smith, I think itis necessary. I's not your job, nor should it be, bat You have to out your foot down in a Sense. I say this with no offense, but as a patient itis your Job to receive the help you need, The doctor isnot the one who needs the service. It isthe patiens 1 is You. It is me. I understand that this may seem a bit extra, but I hope you will see why itis so important for your voice to be heard. Patients pay money to receive help and Probably more money to pay for any medications given. We shouldn't let our money go to waste, If'we don’t get proper service, itis our job to demand it. If doctors keep belittling patients, will this common issue ever get solved? epcoming across your case study, I was able to closely examine ‘communication between health care provider and patients, Like I mentioned beta, Mr. Smith, this issue occurs on the [eeu Ii a serious problem that has been around. I undersara how intimidating doctors can be and how we have a natural urge to “obey” them ina sence On the other hand, this eye to Be broken. Doctors cannot be authoritative over our health ont body. We nced to be authoritative figures in appointment. Iti a tough Concept to grasp, but itis necessary sometimes. IF we keep let 1 us, things will get worse, Miscommunication can Praually hurt our health instead of help it As society thinks “the doctor’s always right However, this isnot true, There has to be a change come about, and it starts with us, the patients If we keep letting them override us, patients will never get the health care they truly deserve, [ hope you take my options into consideration next time von make an appointment, Sincerely, Gabrielle Hemandex Patient’s Rights Advocate Gherna9@Isu.edu z : Ove ¥ paper i¢ colld Overall, your papel é You Got the vight outline Wee Moye info. About Your role fl APA citations! References ?Dr. Jones extra information that might’ ve been beneficial to know. Also, you answered all {questions he asked you completely. You gave him the respect that he didn’t give to you. I assume that you must have felt neglected, as a person and as a patient. He was overriding everything you were saying, and you didn’t bother to repeat yourself or go back to anything he ‘issed. Mr. Smith, itis not your job to. As a patient, you go to a medical facility to receive service you need. You shouldn't have to correct a doctor in his mistakes. A\fter all, it is the doctor's job to give you the help you need. If the doctor isn’t playing his role correct, does that ‘mean should you have to suffer for his actions? Another assumption I made is that maybe you were a bit timid to communicate with Dr. Jones. The white coats doctors wear present an authority in a sense. Eight plus years of college can really intimidate people. Perhaps you followed the conversation as Dr. Jones led it because you have this perception that doctors are “all-knowing”, so you would expect that they would know what they are talking about, I would completely understand if this was your train of thought. I want you to know you're not alone. Plenty of others think the same as you, including myself, have been in many health care facilities throughout my life, from being a patient to actually observing communication throughout these places. Like I mentioned earlier Mr. Smith, you are nnot alone, Many patients around the globe have encountered the same issue as you and feel the same as you do. I can tell you from personal experiences that I have been in your position before. When I was about fifteen or sixteen, I had this annoying cold for about a month. I went to the govt doctor about three times during this incident. What I noticed throughout my visits is that the — a doctors do most of the talking. What about us, the patients? When do we voice our problems? cow : Given the run-around and several different medications the source of my cold was my allergies,» \)\ Allergies, Maybe if we had the chance to speak more, these problems wouldn't occur. Doctors Qt ve examine you, check your history, and ask multiple questions, which of most the answers are only yes or no, You can try to explain yourself, but everything seems to revolve around the doctor. The doctor who actually isn’t receiving any help. These white coats they wear tend to give off an illusion that snatches our attention. It is an actual theory called the White Coat Effect. When doctors walk in with their flashy, white coats, it gives them an authoritative image, Patients seemed to be blinded by this, even myself. I have never spoke back to a doctor, or even make ‘myself feel authoritative in an appointment, so I definitely understand your actions. It is hard to communicate with someone so full of knowledge without feeling like you are in the wrong or fecling belittled. Doctors may be an authority figure in a hospital, but they shouldn't be one over our health. If these lagging issues in health communication continue, patients will never receive the proper service they need. 0 more J into After reading your case study and analyzing patient health care in general, I noted that doctors neglect patients in a way. They do most of the talking. They speak quickly. They do ask close- ended questions. However, Mr. Smith, I want you to realize that they are just trying to do their Job as quickly, yet effectively as possible. Doctors don’t have much time to spend with each and every patient, They are on a timely schedule. ‘They have plenty of other patients that still has to