This article provides a guide for women on how to advocate for themselves in healthcare. It addresses common scenarios such as when a doctor is not listening when lab results appear fine but symptoms persist, and when doctors don’t review medical records. Women are encouraged to communicate their concerns, ensure doctors understand their medical history and current symptoms, and consider seeking a second opinion if necessary. Women can make sure they get the finest care available by actively participating in their healthcare.
Women often experience gender inequality in healthcare where their concerns are ignored, dismissed, or minimized during medical appointments. Because their initial concerns weren’t taken seriously, this condition may cause their medical issues to worsen. Many women claim that once a doctor failed to offer a diagnosis, they had to prove that their symptoms weren’t “all in their heads” or that they were being called “simply a hypochondriac” for maintaining that something was wrong. In this post, we’ll provide ladies advice on how to speak out for themselves when it comes to healthcare.
Scenario 1: Your doctor is not listening Due to the use of electronic medical records, doctors are often typing notes on their laptops or tablets during the appointment. As a result, women may feel that the doctor is not listening to them. To address this issue, women can say, “I understand why you’re documenting this conversation and taking care of the administrative paperwork, but I’m worried you aren’t hearing all my concerns and I’d like to make sure we’re on the same page. Can we quickly review and make sure we haven’t missed anything in the notes?”
Scenario 2: Your doctor says your labs look “fine” Doctors often rely on lab tests to diagnose medical conditions, but sometimes these tests don’t provide the full picture of a patient’s condition. Women can say, “I’m certainly reassured and encouraged by normal test results, but I still feel like something is going on that we haven’t addressed or that we’re missing here.” If the doctor is not willing to investigate further or the patient doesn’t feel like they’re being heard, it’s time to seek a second opinion.
Scenario 3: Your doctor didn’t review your medical records Doctors may not have enough time to review a patient’s medical records before an appointment, which can result in them not being familiar with the patient’s medical history. Women can ask, “Did you have a chance to review the records I sent over in advance of this appointment?” If the doctor didn’t have time to review the records, the patient can ask, “Should I make a follow-up appointment where we can talk about my records?” It may be helpful for women with complicated medical histories to arrive at their appointment with a prepared list of the most important things that need to be discussed.
