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Written by: Emily Bruckner
As a woman in her twenties, there are many things that have changed regarding my health journey. In order to be successful at being “healthy”, you have to go through new procedures, learn about new risks, be actively aware of your health and know how to communicate with the people trusted with your healthcare. As someone who was fearful of medicine and the jargon used to describe it, communicating my needs was a constant struggle. This is not to be limited to only women, as any person can experience this barrier in communication. In my personal experience, the acceptance of medication and therapy has expanded to new lengths, but the education on support outside of school systems is not as strong. There are several factors that could affect engagement and understanding of one’s medical needs. The specific focus of the health communication discussed is learning to efficiently communicate with doctors about any needs. This is a constant struggle for adults ages 18-30, as many new procedures are performed, changes and growth happen and there may not be a parent or guidance after someone reaches a certain age. The message intended for these adults is that there are important things to be learned and about ones’ overall health, and it is important to know how to communicate with doctors, professionals and the people who are important in that individuals’ life.
An article discussing everyday health and communication discusses the importance of interpersonal communication, and how it is central to maintaining ones’ health (Reifgerste, Wagner 2023). This can be represented as an example of patients struggling to comprehend data they receive from their medical results. Another factor listed includes patients not having a communicative space to discuss the data and how having multiple people who have access to medical records can be a good thing. The ideas of patient empowerment and not giving in to self-doubt are also illustrated throughout this research article.
As a young adult, it is important to gain independence when it comes to preparing to vouch for yourself when it comes to your own personal, medical needs. The reasons as to why understanding can benefit the patients’ health. Control is maintained, questions are asked for clarification and self-reflection is administered. Often, I found myself asked, “Do you have any questions?”, and the answer would most likely be no, or some random question that was phrased in a way that was unrecognizable from my intentions. Further knowledge about results and reflection are important in the process of communication.
This coincides with the suggestion of maintaining a space that you can discuss your medical results in in order to gain a better understanding and make the best decision for your health. This includes becoming more familiar with medical jargon, being proactive, familiarizing oneself with available websites and containing trusted information and communicating with your doctor about your needs. Giving patients the tools and not explaining how to use them, or present them in an accessible way can be a challenging task many people do not bother completing.
Reiterating the issue above, existence does not equal access, and therefore can be an issue with communication affecting your health. In order to make changes to improve your health journey, you have to be self-aware and willing to communicate to alter your ability. Data is often overwhelming for someone like me who strays far away from numbers and science. The research article further provides support for the theory that communication can benefit your health.
By allowing myself to rely on my parents to deal with the medical aspect of my life, growing up in high school, it came as a shock when they suddenly expected me to be responsible for it all at once. Learning how to have a relationship with the people you see for medical care is important. Being able to communicate to those who we call experts in their fields certainly cannot do their job to the best of their ability if we do not participate in the goal of keeping ourselves healthy. Interacting with technology, scheduling appoints and discussing options are all things that contribute to communication with people who are responsible for our health.
Bruckner / October 18, 2023