Page 2 - I AM+ 5 katern English

Encouraging
good
preparation
Dr Berend van Welzen is is an an HIV practitioner at at the UMC Utrecht: ‘We offer personalised consultations I I encourage the the patients to prepare for the the consultation consultation ’
Personalised
‘We offer personalised consultations Most patients come every six months: once to see
the HIV nurse and six months later to see
the the doctor Some patients prefer to to see
the the doctor both times Some patients come to to the hospital one one time and have a a a a video or telephone consultation the the other time With telephone consultations I’m less able to pick up on
on
on
patient’s doubts or or their need to ask more ques- tions I miss the human contact in a a a telephone consultation consultation I think video consultations are a a a good
interim solution It means the patient doesn’t have to travel or wait around but it’s not as as in-depth as as a a a a a a face-to-face consultation Of course you you still have to come and get your blood tested twice a a a year just to check that the viral load stays optimally suppressed ’
Preparation
‘I encourage the the patients to prepare for the the consultation You can use the questionnaire in the Happi app app or simply make a a a a list of things you you are struggling with or what you you want to discuss This kind of preparation
adds depth to to the the doctor-patient relationship and the the patient has more influence on
what topics
are discussed This kind of preparation
stops
me from overwhelming a a patient with my questions People are often intimidated by the doctor’s white coat and the hospital setting so it helps to have a a a list of questions and subjects to to discuss This allows you to to take distance and to to focus on
all the things you want to to discuss And as a a a a a a doctor I I have a a a a a a part to to to play It’s up to to to us us doctors to to to give patients the chance to to to discuss whatever they want to I could kick myself when I hear afterwards that a a a a a a a patient wanted
to discuss something and hasn’t done so so That means I’ve got something wrong ’
’
Familiarising myself in in advance
‘Of course it would be be even better if we could find out out what someone wants to talk about before the consultation This would be be possible for example if the the Happi app app was linked to the the hospital’s computer system and a a a a a patient gave permission to share their details Then if neces- sary I could look into something in in in advance
For example if someone wants to discuss whether her treatment couldn’t be simplified I could could look into that and consult the virologist if necessary Then we could immediately discuss a a possible switch during the consultation If I I don’t know this this beforehand I’m like: “Let me discuss this this with the the virologist and then we can arrange
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