Speech or Hearing Challenges? 4 Tips for Doctor Visits

Going to the doctor can be stressful, and communicating isn’t always easy. You may have to convey information to multiple people on your care team or you might struggle to describe your symptoms specifically enough. Then there’s all the information from your doctor to make sense of and remember.  

All of this is even more of a challenge if you have a communication disability, which means you have a hard time speaking; hearing; understanding and processing written or spoken information; remembering details; or problem solving.  

“While the exact symptoms of a speech, hearing or language disability can vary, what we know is that when people with communication disabilities try to interact with the healthcare system, those interactions can be difficult,” says Carolyn Baylor, PhD, a speech-language pathologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Washington School of Medicine.  

Communication disabilities are often a result of medical conditions — like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, a traumatic brain injury, dementia, or head or neck cancer, among others. Other communication disabilities can be associated with congenital or developmental conditions.

“Medical visits are often really important, high-stakes encounters where we emphasize shared decision making and patient autonomy, but those things get harder when communication is breaking down,” Baylor adds.  

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope — here are some ways to make things easier.  

Don’t assume your doctor knows your situation

It is frustrating if your doctor isn’t hearing you or responding in a helpful way. But this could be due to them simply not knowing your specific communication needs, not being inconsiderate.  

“Often, we think doctors know how to interact with people who have communication difficulties, but they often don’t learn much about communication disabilities in their training,” Baylor says. “They may learn about asking open questions and how to listen, but they aren’t trained on how to change that process when the patient struggles to communicate.”  

Your doctor may need a little information from you about how best to do that.  

Don’t be afraid to let them know up front what your communication challenges are and how they can help you in the medical visit. Ask them to speak more slowly so you can process what they’re saying, or even to write down key words or use simple diagrams. Let them know if you need more time to get your message out. They’ll probably be happy to comply. 

Come prepared

Especially if you struggle with remembering things, make sure you prepare for your appointment by writing down a list of your symptoms, questions and anything else you want to talk about with your doctor. You could even give them that list to refer to, so you don’t have to explain everything at the start of the appointment.  

It’s also a good idea to come to the appointment with a solid idea of what you want the outcome to be or what the goal of the appointment is. Keeping that in mind can prevent you from getting distracted or off topic and leaving without the answers you need.  

Let your doctor’s office know what you need for communication outside of medical appointments. For example, is sending messages through your electronic health record, like MyChart, easier than communicating over the phone? You can use MyChart to send a message to your care team prior to your visit to detail what you want to talk about. If the after-visit notes in MyChart are difficult to follow, be sure to ask the doctor for a verbal summary and key information written in simple steps before you leave.

Bring support

If you think having another person at the appointment would be helpful, ask them if they’re willing to go with you. Maybe this person is a family member, or even a good friend; choose someone with whom you communicate well and who can be a good partner in your healthcare experience.  

“Tell them ahead of time what your priorities are for the visit so they can help you stay on track, and let the medical provider know what the person’s role is,” Baylor says.  

Before your appointment, talk with the person about how much help you need. Do you want them to do most of the talking? Or do you prefer to be as independent as possible and have them step in only when needed? Make sure you both understand what each person is comfortable with before you go in.  

Be open about your needs

Sometimes, people feel embarrassed, or they do not want to impose on the medical provider, but that isn’t going to help you communicate better — quite the opposite, in fact. By being open about what you need, you can help your medical team better meet your needs.  

“None of these tips are particularly new or complex, but it’s about being purposeful and showing up having everything you need in place,” Baylor says. “These are some everyday things you can do to advocate for yourself.”