Communicating With Your Child’s Healthcare Team

Communicating is so important. As a parent of a child with cancer, primary advocate for your child and decision-maker for their care, it is important to communicate with your child’s healthcare team. Preparing questions in advance, staying organized, and asking clarifying questions will help you to be informed of your child’s diagnosis and treatment so that you can make the best decisions for them.

In a previous article, we talked about how to create a medical binder for you to stay organized with medications, appointments, and paperwork for your child’s cancer treatment. In this article, you will learn how to use your medical binder to help you communicate with your child’s healthcare team.

How to Prepare Communicating Questions Before Your Child’s Appointments

Making a list of questions you want to ask your child’s care team before their appointment will keep you focused and organized and make certain that you get all of the information you need before you leave the appointment. Below are tips on how to prepare your questions before your child’s appointments.

• Make a list of questions you want to ask at your child’s appointment. Keep this list in your child’s medical binder.
• Put the most important questions at the top of your list.  
• Use your child’s medical binder to take notes during appointments.
• Ask a family member or friend to come with you to help take notes while you talk to the doctor or to remind you of important information you want to ask during this appointment.
• Using the “Talking With Your Doctor” worksheets can help you write your questions.
  
  

Preparing Your Child for Their Appointments

Getting your child ready for their medical appointment in advance can help them be less afraid and make their experience a happy one. Below is a list of things you can do to get your child ready for their medical appointments.

• Talk to your child about the purpose of their appointment using age-appropriate language. Start the conversation a few days before their appointment to give them time to process the information.
• Read a book to your child that explains the purpose of their appointment. Your doctor’s office or hospital may have these books available for free. Keep these books in your child’s medical binder so you can find them easily.
• Listen to your child’s questions about their appointment and answer them honestly using age-appropriate language. These question-and-answer sessions with your child will help to alleviate their fears and make them feel involved with their treatment.
• You and your child can role-play by pretending that you are at the doctor’s office. You play together and act out a role in the doctor’s office (receptionist, medical assistant, nurse, and doctor). A fun way to communicate
• If you or your child needs an interpreter, make arrangements before the appointment for an interpreter to be there.
• Let your child take their favorite item that they can carry to their appointment.
• Ask your child what questions they have for the doctor, and write their questions down in their medical binder.

Staying Organized while Communicating

Below are things you can do to keep your child’s medical information organized.

• Use your child’s medical binder to keep discharge instructions, test results, medication changes, and appointments organized.
• Review discharge instructions or the after visit summary (AVS) and ask questions about information you don’t understand before leaving the appointment.
• Write down medication changes in your child’s medical binder right away.
• Make follow-up appointments before you leave the hospital or doctor’s office.
• Give your child’s updated information to each member of their care team.
• Create an account with a patient portal to communicate with our child’s care team. You may be able to keep all of your child’s medical information in this patient portal.
• Use a shared online calendar like Google Calendar to share your child’s appointments with each member of their care team. A shared online calendar can help schedule appointments that need to occur together.

Ask Clarifying Questions

Asking clarifying questions during your child’s medical visits is important. By asking clarifying questions, you will have a better understanding of your child’s treatment plan. When you know the reasons behind your child’s care plan, you are more likely to follow it closely.

How to Ask Clarifying Questions

• Ask open-ended questions – questions that have to be answered by providing details rather than a “Yes” or “No”. For example, ask “What is the name of the new medication for my child?” instead of “Are you giving my child a new medication?”
• Use the “read-back” technique. Repeat the information back to your child’s doctor in your own words and ask the doctor to confirm you understand the instructions or materials.
• Ask the care team to give you information in simpler words if you find the medical jargon they are using to be confusing.

Communicating the Questions to Ask

Below is a sample list of questions you may want to ask at your child’s medical appointments. You can search online for more questions to ask.

• Ask about the type of cancer your child has and what stage it is at.
• Ask your doctor how much experience they have treating this type of cancer.
• Ask for information about the other members of your child’s care team.
• Ask about treatment options and how to check if the treatment is working.
• Ask about the side effects of the treatment.
• Ask about what you and your child need to do to get them ready for their treatment.
• Ask where the treatment will take place (home, hospital, infusion center) and if you can be with your child during their treatment.
• Ask about the symptoms your child might experience and what you should do if these symptoms occur.
• Ask for the name of the person and their contact information who can answer your questions after your child’s appointment.

Conclusion

Communicating with your child’s healthcare providers will help you stay informed of your child’s diagnosis and treatment. Following these strategies of how to communicate with your child’s healthcare team can help you make the best medical decisions for your child.

References

How to Communicate Effectively with Your Pediatric Home Health Team

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medical-care-and-appointments/how-prepare-doctors-appointment#:~:text=to%20talk%20about.-,Make%20a%20list%20and%20prioritize%20your%20concerns,Your%20Doctor%20worksheets%20can%20help.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medical-care-and-appointments/talking-your-doctor-worksheets

https://www.drsindupillai.com/blog/preparing-your-child-for-their-first-check-up

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000922.htm

https://www.texaschildrens.org/content/conditions/questions-ask-your-childs-doctor-about-cancer