Medical Teams refer to the following:

• Doctors & their teams in general medicine
• Doctors & their teams in orthopedic medicine
• Hospitals & their entire support teams
• Outpatient rehabilitation teams

These teams provide all patients the necessary support & repair for joint pain, surgeries & replacements. All are necessary from basic joint pain through full joint replacements. As patients, we owe a great deal to these medical professionals who support our medical needs every day.

Doctors & patients agree that when they communicate well, healing goes better. National surveys show that this effective communication needs great improvement. Our Joint Decisions, as a Patient's Advocate, has made it a mandate to help improve this relationship.

Medical schools now require training in communications skills. We will be working closely with them to provide greater insight into the patient's perspective. Effective communications is a two-way street. A doctor's "bedside" manner must be open & informative. The patient must be comfortable asking the right questions.

We hear about some patients who feel their doctor is always right & never question any diagnosis. This consists more of older patients who were brought up this way. Our Joint Decisions promotes the patients see their doctors right away. We also promote the patients doing their own research to make sure they understand the full scope of the diagnosis & the actions necessary.

Our Joint Decisions is not questioning a doctor's diagnosis. We feel the patient needs to take a more active role.

When a patient meets with their doctor to discuss their diagnosis, many times they never ask a single question. As a Patient's Advocate, Our Joint Decisions strongly suggests patients research their situation & develop a list of questions they feel need to be answered.

Many times, patients who have total joint replacements never ask their doctor which joint manufacturer they are using, or even to see what it looks like. You would think that if a person was going to have a major joint totally replaced in their body, they would want to know more about it. This is the education & motivation that Our Joint Decisions wants to convey.

Medical Teams deal with patients that vary greatly in their responsiveness to their bodies telling them there is something wrong. The types of patients range from the following:

• Respond to their doctor immediately
• Wait short time to validate pain is real
• Procrastinate, hoping pain will go away
• No matter what level of pain, not going to see doctor

Our Joint Decisions clearly states one of the patient's most important goals is to make the best "Joint Decision" with their doctor. The doctor/patient relationship is extremely important. The patient must feel comfortable with their doctor, respect & trust them & literally be willing to put their lives in their hands. This partnership is the foundation for the patient's success. The stronger this relationship, the patient's chances to get a successful diagnosis improve greatly.

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