Have you ever left the doctor’s office feeling as if you had just gone through a revolving door?
      There was a time when doctors actually spent tranquil minutes with their patients, answering questions and addressing the patient’s concerns. Today, with the time pressures we all seem to be under and with the advent of HMOs, this seems to be a thing of the past.
     Yet, more now than ever, each of us has to take control of our own health care. And this means getting the information you need from your doctor so you can make informed decisions.
     How To Talk To Your Doctor shows the reader how to get this information. He or she will also learn how to navigate through the all-to-often concurrent maze of prescriptions and tests with an eye to discerning their necessity and value and learn how to save time and money while doing it.
     Especially beneficial to those facing a serious or prolonged illness, this book will appeal to everyone who goes to a doctor as well as those who act as medical advocates for their children, aging parents, or others.
     It will be a popular gift for a loved one.

Table of Contents

1. The First Doctor You Talk to: Your Primary Care Physician

2. How to Prepare for an Appointment

3. Should I Take Time to Say Hello?

4. An Ally Worth Having: Enlist the Internet in Your Health Care

5. I Can’t Swallow That: What to Ask When Your Doctor Reaches for the Prescription Pad

6. You’re Ordering What? The Wacky, Wonderful, and Expensive World of Tests

7. Do You Need Someone Else? Talking about
Referrals and Second Opinions

8. Join the Crowd: Who Are All those People in the Office?

9. What Do You Mean, ‘You Lost My File?’ Navigating the Record Maze

10. When You Need Two Heads: Speaking for Someone Else

11. Surgery!? Special Techniques for Talking to a Surgeon