Ask an Expert
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MAY 2023 TOPIC: Women and Self-Advocacy Regarding Medical Care
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C.
Chiropractor Specializing in Family Chiropractic, Pregnancy & Pediatrics |
OUR EXPERT:
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C., graduated from Life Chiropractic School in Marietta, Georgia in 2006, and, shortly afterward, opened her first chiropractic practice in Woodstock, NY. Today, she provides services in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Her technique consists of a combination of Diversified, SOT, Activator, Thompson, Webster, Toggle Recoil, Gonstead, Network Spinal Analysis, Cox Flexion Distraction, Kinesiology, Muscle Testing, Sports Medicine and Extremities. She is focused on accommodating her clients’ individual needs. Emily has also been extremely involved in her community, facilitating the opening of an alternative health clinic in Kingston, New York and volunteering her time for years in order to educate and inform the public about the availability of diverse and non-invasive healing options. This passion for helping others and providing ways for everyone to have access to healing services led Emily to seek the establishment of a nonprofit that would have a mission to help her do just that. Emily's new nonprofit, Infinite Equitable Healing Foundation, will have a website available in 2023. |
Emily is a healer who has always put her patients' concerns and priorities at the forefront of treatment plans. So, we asked her some common questions/concerns about self-advocacy concerning a top priority - medical care.
Should I interview a potential healthcare professional/physician before making a first appointment or just read others' reviews?
Always ask around first for recommendations from your friends or professionals you trust. Reviews are a good place to start if you don't have access to a friend or a professional. The more information you have the better.
In an interview with a prospective healthcare professional, what are some important questions I should ask?
It depends on the professional you are looking for and the specific needs you have that are important to you. The most important thing is to understand your goals. For instance, if you are looking for the best heart surgeon, then it will be less about how much you like this person’s personality or bedside manner and more about how many open-heart surgeries the specialist has done. If you are looking for a pediatrician for your children, you should consider whether or not the practice respects your values as a parent – will they support your desire to vaccinate or not? If you are looking for a chiropractor for you and your family, ask if the chiropractor specializes in family care. If you’ve injured yourself playing pickleball, you should find a chiropractor who specializes in sports injuries. In all cases, it's also important to ask about certifications.
In general, each specialty provides specific services that you have to sift through to find the desired outcome you need and what will make you feel best served. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable enough to ask any question you feel is important to you and that you feel heard. If you don't, look elsewhere.
What type of records should I keep?
If you are dealing with a chronic, long-standing health issue, keep everything and take notes in an assigned journal or book with dates, including names of those you spoke with – especially information exchanged with the insurance company regarding approvals.
All records of tests should be requested, such as a disc containing your x-rays or MRI scans. Often, you’ll receive a disc of your scans right after they were taken. (They are required to give you a copy if you ask.) The requesting doctor will also receive a copy. These are your records, and you can have all of them at no cost. Keeping them accessible saves a ton of time and frustration. It will also empower you when you need to get things approved and are getting information from many different sources. If you log all conversations with names and dates, it will be easy to advocate for yourself or your family.
Any tips about how to prepare for an office visit?
BREATHE. Do your best to be calm and relaxed beforehand. If you are anxious from the get-go, you won't be able to advocate for yourself or be able to listen with an open mind. If you are afraid or anxious, consider bringing a supporter along to document relevant information and help you ask the questions you need to ask. This will assure that you will be able to sort through all the information later with your supporter, so you can make the best choices for yourself going forward.
Should I keep a journal if something with my health has changed?
Absolutely! As I’ve previously mentioned, the more information you have on hand, the more empowered you’ll feel. The doctor will be able to diagnose you more effectively, too. The more information the better. Even if you don’t think it’s relevant, it could very well be the one thing that points the doctor towards the correct diagnosis.
It's my body and I know when something's wrong: How should I approach a healthcare professional who doesn't seem to take me seriously?
Yes, it is your body, and you must remember this beyond all else. You must always trust your intuition because it could save your life. How do you approach them? The moment you feel as if a healthcare provider doesn’t take you seriously, you should politely walk away – not being taken seriously is never okay.
Any dos and don'ts you'd like to share when it comes to the doctor-patient relationship?
The most important thing in a doctor-patient relationship is trust. Trust is built on rapport and time spent listening and respecting each other – a therapeutic relationship based on respect. Knowing what your objective is when you go to a doctor and figuring out what you want from that professional is primary. Once you understand how important it is that you have a say in what happens to your body and how you are treated, the dos and don'ts become less about wrongs or rights; instead, you develop an open dialogue that is curious, solution-based and collaborative. If the doctor you are going to does not honor this, like all partnerships, it will not work.
Should I interview a potential healthcare professional/physician before making a first appointment or just read others' reviews?
Always ask around first for recommendations from your friends or professionals you trust. Reviews are a good place to start if you don't have access to a friend or a professional. The more information you have the better.
In an interview with a prospective healthcare professional, what are some important questions I should ask?
It depends on the professional you are looking for and the specific needs you have that are important to you. The most important thing is to understand your goals. For instance, if you are looking for the best heart surgeon, then it will be less about how much you like this person’s personality or bedside manner and more about how many open-heart surgeries the specialist has done. If you are looking for a pediatrician for your children, you should consider whether or not the practice respects your values as a parent – will they support your desire to vaccinate or not? If you are looking for a chiropractor for you and your family, ask if the chiropractor specializes in family care. If you’ve injured yourself playing pickleball, you should find a chiropractor who specializes in sports injuries. In all cases, it's also important to ask about certifications.
In general, each specialty provides specific services that you have to sift through to find the desired outcome you need and what will make you feel best served. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable enough to ask any question you feel is important to you and that you feel heard. If you don't, look elsewhere.
What type of records should I keep?
If you are dealing with a chronic, long-standing health issue, keep everything and take notes in an assigned journal or book with dates, including names of those you spoke with – especially information exchanged with the insurance company regarding approvals.
All records of tests should be requested, such as a disc containing your x-rays or MRI scans. Often, you’ll receive a disc of your scans right after they were taken. (They are required to give you a copy if you ask.) The requesting doctor will also receive a copy. These are your records, and you can have all of them at no cost. Keeping them accessible saves a ton of time and frustration. It will also empower you when you need to get things approved and are getting information from many different sources. If you log all conversations with names and dates, it will be easy to advocate for yourself or your family.
Any tips about how to prepare for an office visit?
BREATHE. Do your best to be calm and relaxed beforehand. If you are anxious from the get-go, you won't be able to advocate for yourself or be able to listen with an open mind. If you are afraid or anxious, consider bringing a supporter along to document relevant information and help you ask the questions you need to ask. This will assure that you will be able to sort through all the information later with your supporter, so you can make the best choices for yourself going forward.
Should I keep a journal if something with my health has changed?
Absolutely! As I’ve previously mentioned, the more information you have on hand, the more empowered you’ll feel. The doctor will be able to diagnose you more effectively, too. The more information the better. Even if you don’t think it’s relevant, it could very well be the one thing that points the doctor towards the correct diagnosis.
It's my body and I know when something's wrong: How should I approach a healthcare professional who doesn't seem to take me seriously?
Yes, it is your body, and you must remember this beyond all else. You must always trust your intuition because it could save your life. How do you approach them? The moment you feel as if a healthcare provider doesn’t take you seriously, you should politely walk away – not being taken seriously is never okay.
Any dos and don'ts you'd like to share when it comes to the doctor-patient relationship?
The most important thing in a doctor-patient relationship is trust. Trust is built on rapport and time spent listening and respecting each other – a therapeutic relationship based on respect. Knowing what your objective is when you go to a doctor and figuring out what you want from that professional is primary. Once you understand how important it is that you have a say in what happens to your body and how you are treated, the dos and don'ts become less about wrongs or rights; instead, you develop an open dialogue that is curious, solution-based and collaborative. If the doctor you are going to does not honor this, like all partnerships, it will not work.
