Sponsored by Ole Town Med

When you visit your local healthcare provider for an appointment or checkup, do you feel nervous or rushed to talk to your provider about your symptoms, or feel you do not understand what the provider is talking about when discussing treatment options?

“Too many instances occur where patients are uncomfortable discussing certain issues with their provider – whether it be a personality clash, or bad bedside manner – leaving these conditions undiagnosed and untreated leaves a patient feeling alone and not listened to,” said Laura Lindsey Hill FNP-C, a certified family nurse practitioner and President of Ole Town Med. “We try very hard to have a good relationship with all our patients for the most optimum healthcare experience possible.”

A healthy relationship with your healthcare provider is essential for a proper checkup and making sure the appointment is beneficial for both the patient and the provider. Here are some beneficial ways to build a relationship with your healthcare provider that can benefit you.

Familiarity and Trust

The best way to build a relationship with someone is to meet with them multiple times to familiarize yourselves with each other. The same goes for patients and healthcare providers as well. Meeting with your healthcare professional multiple times helps create a better level of trust between the patient and provider. The familiarity between the patient and provider allows the provider to personalize your healthcare, because you do not have to explain yourself and your medical history over again to the provider. This way, the provider can give you personalized healthcare options instead of a quick fix.

“Here at Ole Town Med, our providers strive to have a good, trusting relationship with our patients which has proven better outcomes in a patient’s health,” Hill said.

Proper Communication

 At the center of all relationships is communication. Communication is key to having a healthy relationship with your healthcare provider, because it helps the healthcare provider understand how you are feeling, get to know you and personalize your healthcare. Communication will help the healthcare provider make a better decision on how to diagnose and adequately treat you, instead of the quick-fix approach. For instance, telling your provider your family medical history or any problems you have health-wise will help in personalizing your healthcare and build a great relationship between the two.

Communication works both ways. If you do not understand the diagnosis or the medical terminology that your healthcare provider is discussing with you, ask if they can explain it again, so there is no confusion. This level of communication will help build the relationship and make sure the patient and provider are on the same page when discussing treatment.

Ole Town Med offers Primary care, Preventative care and Urgent care, and is unique by providing personalized care for each patient. Ole Town Med accepts both appointments and walk-ins. The average wait time at Ole Town Med is 15 minutes. Ole Town Med is open seven days a week – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information about Ole Town Med and its care, contact Ole Town Med at 662-234-9112 or online at https://oletownmed.com, and connect with Ole Town Med on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OleTownMed.