5 Things to Look for in a Good Doctor!
Treats you with respect
A doctor that treats you with respect will have the knowledge and understanding that patient’s have autonomy (the right to make their own decision) and have the power to advocate for themselves regarding their medical concerns and experiences.
Listens to your opinions and concerns
A good doctor wants more information and history from a patient. There is a limited amount of information that comes from data points like blood work and imaging reports. Doctors need and want your stories. A good doctor listens intentionally, compassionately, and empathetically as you trust them with your personal health information.
Encourages you to ask questions
ASK QUESTIONS! Ask questions for more information, better understanding, and curiosity. A good doctor wants you to ask questions so they can see how well you understand something and also if you want or need more details. It is better to have a safe space to ask questions and get answers than to cause a negative health outcome or complication.
Explains things in ways you understand
When patients understand their medical problems and journey it improves health outcomes. Good health literacy is important because patients are taking care of themselves daily and tell their medical story to many people in their lifetime. Additionally, patients should know what is going on with their health so they can make informed decisions about the options and resources they need.
Doesn’t give up when one test comes back normal
Medicine is a continuous education path. The learning does not stop after medical school. It does not stop after residency training. A good doctor continues to learn and broaden their scope of understanding to work up and discover the best options, next steps, or treatments for patients in order to alleviate or manage the medical problem. Patients should advocate for their medical concerns and good doctors should explore diverse aspects of modern medicine in order to provide patients with the best evidence based options, recommendations, and treatment.
At Harris Family Health the personalized, compassionate, and comprehensive primary care services offered by Dr Harris encompasses ALL of these “Good Doctor” characteristics. Dr Harris provides genuine care to her patients, adults and children, through a membership based primary care clinic that provides more time and access to the doctor. Building strong trusted doctor-patient relationships is important to Dr Harris as she continues to be a resource and advocate for the Flint community.
Those interested in learning more about Harris Family Health can visit harrisfamilyhealth.com.
Become a member of Harris Family Health today by starting the membership enrollment HERE.
Stay connected by joining the Harris Family Health Community list HERE.
