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- 97
- Location
- San Francisco, CA USA
In a recent popular thread, the notion of making audio recordings of medical appointments came up. I just want to say I'm a cheerleader for this approach -- I get so much more out of my appointments this way.
My doc is a MECFS specialist. (I don't know if he'd describe himself this way but he sees a lot of us.) Before I went to see him, I saw a post on here from another patient saying that when asked politely, he's fine with the session being recorded, so I have always done so, after getting his consent each time. I've been seeing him every six weeks or so since April. I come away from the appointment with my memory of it which is one thing, gain another thing when I actually listen to the recording, and get new insight when I transcribe the sessions and search medical terms as I type. And if you're lucky enough to have someone accompany you to you appointments and discuss them with you later it can add a whole layer of extra understanding.
I bring this up because I've been acutely ill for the last few weeks and had an appointment with my doctor earlier this week, after which I felt frustrated and like nothing had been accomplished. After listening to the recording of the appointment today (honestly, three times) and transcribing it, I was able to understand what my doctor was telling me, which I was simply too sick to do at the time. I think this is crucial especially when new treatments or tests are being discussed so I can refer back as reference.
I think if a doctor seems resistant to this, they could be reminded that many of us suffer from cognitive impairment and just want to be scrupulous about following doctor's orders.
Anyway, I just wanted to pass on that recordings of my appointments have become indespensible tools, and if you're not utilizing them you may want to! I use the Voice Memos app on my iPhone though I'm sure there are many other options.
My doc is a MECFS specialist. (I don't know if he'd describe himself this way but he sees a lot of us.) Before I went to see him, I saw a post on here from another patient saying that when asked politely, he's fine with the session being recorded, so I have always done so, after getting his consent each time. I've been seeing him every six weeks or so since April. I come away from the appointment with my memory of it which is one thing, gain another thing when I actually listen to the recording, and get new insight when I transcribe the sessions and search medical terms as I type. And if you're lucky enough to have someone accompany you to you appointments and discuss them with you later it can add a whole layer of extra understanding.
I bring this up because I've been acutely ill for the last few weeks and had an appointment with my doctor earlier this week, after which I felt frustrated and like nothing had been accomplished. After listening to the recording of the appointment today (honestly, three times) and transcribing it, I was able to understand what my doctor was telling me, which I was simply too sick to do at the time. I think this is crucial especially when new treatments or tests are being discussed so I can refer back as reference.
I think if a doctor seems resistant to this, they could be reminded that many of us suffer from cognitive impairment and just want to be scrupulous about following doctor's orders.
Anyway, I just wanted to pass on that recordings of my appointments have become indespensible tools, and if you're not utilizing them you may want to! I use the Voice Memos app on my iPhone though I'm sure there are many other options.
