Avoid Being a

A doctor, almost by definition, is a busy professional who is entitled to get a bit irritated when his or her patients aren't living up to their half of the bargain. While a patient is certainly within their rights to expect excellent care and a reasonable personality from their health care provider, it isn't a one side kind of deal. But, unfortunately, so many patients treat it as if it were. One tip: though a clinic or private office wants you as a patient, they probably have enough business that your disappearance from their rolls isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference. Don't find yourself listed as a "problem patient". Adhering to these tips will not only avoid that labeling, but will help you get better care.

Get There on Time

It's one of the last things a problem patient wants to hear, since your doctor is probably not known for his promptness in keeping appointments. And it's true: you're probably going to have to wait a while in the other room before you are seen, no matter how early you arrive. To some patients, this means "beating the system" by getting there late. But this doesn't work and you're probably going to be responsible for setting back the whole schedule even later than it already was. If you see a physician who constantly takes forever to get to you, consider seeing someone else. Don't start arriving late.

Health Issues Only

Don't go in to a doctor and start making demands and requests that have nothing to do with your health care. It's okay to bring up other health issues than the one for which you scheduled your appointment, but that's where it should end. You may be wondering what else you would possibly bring up, but this only means you aren't a problem patient. If you want to see this abuse in practice, you need only talk to a physician off the record. They will regale you with some fairly ridiculous tales of patients who bring up everything from child discipline (which could be relevant in some ways, but not most) to career counseling. Also, do not go in every other week with some new, fabricated health concern after self-diagnosing on the Internet. Know-it-all hypochondriacs often find themselves on the list of "problem patients" after too many visits over nothing.

Be Honest

Too many patients look at their doctor as if he's their father or their boss. He is neither. You won't be "in trouble" if you admit you're doing something bad for your health or you aren't taking your medicine the way you should be, etc. You have hired the doctor. He works for you, not the other way around. You're only preventing him from doing his job when you fudge the truth.