Wow - what good advice everyone has given. My "words of wisdom" to new docs are fairly simple:
1) Remember that your patient is a human being feeling scared, angry and completely helpless. Treat your patients like they were your husband, wife, mother or father.
2) Don't assume your patients know anything - explain everything in simple terms, with complete explanations. Even if they do know they are so shell shocked they don't remember.

My two suggestions would be:

1) Tell your patient there is no such thing as a stupid question, that the Dr. understands patient fears, that it is okay to call to make appointments to clear up any potential issues - even if the patient might think it is silly, they don't think that.

2) The Doctor should address the role of the internet - tell patients that there are many many sites which would scare the liver out of any human. Provide a list of what the doctor thinks are "approved or helpful" sites, and all the while doing that stress that while one patient can learn from another - NO two patients are alike and you cannot predict your course and outcome based on what has happened to someone else - we truly all are unique. The internet is so prevelant and I think doctors ignoring that patients get information from that source is a mistake.

Enjoy your day. I'm looking forward to hearing how it turns out.

Donna

Great ideas...keep them coming.

I always try to relax the Drs. It lets them know you are alive and kickin and still full of life or BS, LOLIf I can keep them laughing, then I made a friend.

David, congrats on the invite. As knowledgeable about OC as you are I know you will do fine. My 2 cents worth would be to remind them the patients time is ever more valuable and if they are there for a 1000 am appt do not make them wait until 1230 before you see them. The other would be to have the docs tell both the positives and the negatives about any treatment or surgery. There were times I felt I was prying explanations about things and it really made me feel unimportant at times. Let us know how it goes.

David,

Nothing to add to the wonderful responses you have received, but I wanted to tell you how great I think it is that you were asked to do this and I am thrilled that you are back in action here on the forum. Thank you for your continuing efforts on behalf of Oral Cancer Awareness and I'm sure that you will do a great job.

Jerry

All I can say is WOW WOW and DOUBLE WOW. I learned so much listening to Dr Trotti and especially all the slides and charts and graphs. It's one thing talking to our doctors in the exam room and talking to each other on this site but to see slides and charts and graphs of all the things we talk about is really enlightening. And dummy me I didn't think to take a pen and paper.

Anyway there were 160 med students in attendance and Trotti did his thing for about 1 1/2 hours. After a short break, he introduced me and gave my history and then handed me a microphone and started asking me questions starting with "how did I find out I had cancer" and ending with " what am I feeling like 17 months post Tx". I talked for at least an hour and then he opened it up to a Q and A session and you should have seen the hands. I know I mentioned the OFC at least 20 times and I got to mention every thing everyone had suggested. I really felt I made an impact on these students and relationships with future cancer patients judging by the depth of their questions. He had to cut off the questions because we ran out of the alloted time.

Dr Trotti told me after the session that he wants to do this again and wants me to be be there. I told him that was up to him to make sure I was still kicking.

There was one thing funny that is worth mentioning. Dr Trotti gave a brief history of radiology and he said that the first Head and Neck patient treated with radiation was in 1902 (Jim remember?) and it was for cancer of the voice box in an attorney. True fact. Then he said with a straight face that it was the first mistake that medical profession admits to !! I can't wait to tell my lawyer friends.

Don't forget to send the patient to Physical Therapy after ND. Also PT help with lymph drainage and trismus issues as results of radiation.

My biggest problem was and is communication trying to get test results. Doctors won't do email because they'd get 2000 a day. Trying to get call back from the nurse or secretary doesn't work. Sometimes I can't even get through to the dept. I can't imagine being a current cancer patient and trying to deal with that. Doesn't seem to be just one dept. It's the same in all of them. Drs need to make certain that their staff is doing the proper follow up in a timely fashion and that their staff has an easy method of leaving a message, be it phone mail or email. Relieving this type of frustration helps everyone.

Eileen

We went to a doctor whose group had a wonderful system. To get results of any testing there was an 800 number to call. The patient had a permanent code and you gave your doctor's name and he came on with a recorded message. The doctor gave you a business size card with all the numbers and how soon to call. They also had a lab in the same office so if you had to have work either before or after a visit you didn't have to run around like a chicken with it's head chopped off.

Eileen,

Oddly enough, Bill's MO did do email...and boy was it wonderful to be able to reach him and know that he would handle it at a time convenient to him. I did not write him unless it was important (really important,) but I kid you not, I never waited more than 20 minutes for a reply...just amazing. His staff told me before treatment started that he was a terrific doctor...they were more than correct!

Deb