eHealthForum launches free medical office forms to help combat patient / doctor communication barriers and improve health care service resources

NEWS FLASH: Being ill-prepared can have ill effects. A new poll from eHealthForum suggests that patients don't know how to communicate effectively with their medical practitioner. This can lead to wasted appointment time, wasted money, misdiagnoses and even the wrong prescriptions being issued...

27th January 2009. WORLDWIDE : Today, eHealthForum, one of the world's largest online health sites, makes printable medical forms available to help patients and doctors all over the world maximize the quality of every consultation.

The pack, which is free to download, has been created following the revelations from eHealthForum's latest universal poll* showing that 65.04 percent of people asked do little, if any, preparation before visiting the doctor. Of these, more than six percent don't know where to start in preparing to communicate with their health practitioner and 31.38 percent make only a mental note of their symptoms.

The statistics of the survey sample cite that only one third (34.97 percent) of people asked take responsibility for their health care appointment by writing down a list of symptoms, keeping a diary (15.27 percent) and researching possible diagnoses based on their symptoms (19.70 percent).

An appointment with the doctor requires two way communication
On average a medical practitioner has just ten minutes allocated to each consultation. Therefore, it is vital to collect all necessary information quickly and accurately in order to treat the individual successfully inside this limited time frame. However, patient shyness and an inability to identity thoughts and feelings – both physical and mental – can become become a barrier to getting the right health care. These forms can help the patient to help themselves to identify, monitor and note symptoms and lifestyle habits to help the doctor make an informed decision.

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, a primary care physician, says, "Clear communication between doctor and patient is vital. The consequences of miscommunication can result in inappropriate prescriptions and at worst, a court case. Patients often need help to convey their medical concerns clearly and the new forms from eHealthForum will help patients to be more organized before they come into my office, meaning that I may help them get better, faster. In fact, these printable medical forms will be very helpful in many a clinical setting."

Free medical form templates: CHECKLIST: It is not always the most prominent or physical signs that are characteristic to the problem in hand. This checklist will help people to think what else might be useful for the doctor to know, such as less obvious symptoms in other parts of the body. For example, characterization, triggers and concurrent symptoms can all provide vital clues to help the medical practitioner make a more accurate diagnosis.

Free printable medical forms: MEDICATIONS Not mentioning a particular drug being taken and then being prescribed one that is not complementary could be dangerous. This form helps patients keep track of their medication and could provide vital information for the prescribing doctor.  In addition, patients visiting a surgery that is not their regular (being on holiday or a business trip for example) would find this a useful form to download. It's also useful for carers, friends and family to know about in the event of an emergency.

Free medical forms online: OFFICE VISIT This form addresses the more daunting areas of a consultation that some patients might find awkward. It includes advice and suggestions about what to take to an appointment and how to get the best information during the consultation; such as asking for clarification about a medical term, medication instructions and how to get a second opinion.

Marc Turkovic, a partner at eHealthForum says: “What this research indicates is a surprising lack of self help in terms of getting the most out of a doctors appointment. Our existing online resource is very open, approachable, caring, helpful and 100 percent interactive. By adding these forms to our service I hope to help combat some of the issues that can arise from miscommunication in health care. You don't even have to be a member of our community to access them, they are freely available to all.”

All the forms are available to download for free at any time from: Download free medical forms here

* Conducted between 4th November 2008 and 5th January 2009
1,447 participants in UK and USA