What To Look For In Health Care
- Storm Baynes-Ryan
- Jan 23
- 6 min read
When you seek medical care, you want more than just a diagnosis or prescription. As rural people we don't make the effort to see a healthcare provider without consideration and good reason.
We want to make sure we are not only listened to but heard, understood, and supported throughout.
In my opinion, high-quality healthcare goes beyond technical skills and treatments. Those are important, but best practice needs involve compassion, clear communication, patient education, and the ability to adapt care based on how your symptoms change.
Here are some things I think you could look for to make sure you get the best care.
You need to feel listened to and heard, you need to feel understood and taken seriously and you need to know what is going on and what the plan is. This is bog standard treatment as far as I'm concerned and should be what you are expecting from every provider.
Compassion and Empathy as Foundations of Quality Care
How to tell it's there? Your clinician will respond appropriately to what you are going through without dismissing your experience. You will feel respected for who you are and what you are going through and not just a medical condition and understood from the perspective of your feelings and challenges. .
How to recognize compassion and empathy in healthcare:
The provider listens attentively without rushing.
They acknowledge your concerns and emotions.
They use kind, reassuring language (without condescending dismissal and minimising your concern or symptoms)
They show patience when you ask questions or express fears.
Clear Communication Builds Trust and Understanding
Understanding what is happening with you means that you are able to make good choices to improve your outcomes, outside of what you are told.
This week I have had a client who didn't understand what her imaging showed, or what it meant for her. This meant she wasn't able to advocate for herself, or to adapt her lifestyle and treatment. Most medical language is frankly terrifying, along with being confusing if you don't understand the subtleties and context.
As a medical professional, there are a few factors that influence our ability to communicate with clients, including time restrictions and in a hospital setting the changing of staff and shifts. Another is an innate belief that because we know something, someone else will too.
I saw that with a client today, who had been put in a moonboot following a fractured leg. They hadn't been told what WBAT meant (which means weight bearing as tolerated) and had been taking the moonboot off to sleep (and walk to the toilet) and were wearing the moonboot to mow the lawn. They were also complaining of throbbing pain. The surgeon knew what the acronym meant and what they wanted the client to do, but their shorthand was not communicated to the client in their language.
My language for her explanation was
We do not mow lawns in a moon boot
We do not piss it off
We sneak under the radar and do lots of activity with lots of rest, without increasing symptoms
We do not "endeavour to wear our moon boot" - we wear our moon boot. (I did actually swear but she appreciated that, I did read the room!)
Effective communication is a key sign of high-quality healthcare. It ensures you understand your health status, treatment options, and what to expect next. Good communication reduces confusion and empowers you to make informed decisions.
When your health provider communicates effectively, you understand what is happening, where it is happening, what your options are (and that should always include understanding what is likely to happen with no treatment, it's always your option to not pursue treatment), and what will happen in the short and long term.
If you are with me - I want to understand
who you are
what you normally do
what you can't do now because of it
where it is sore
how long it is been like that
how sore it is
how it impacts your life
how it changes through the day and with activity
what makes it worse and what makes it better
how bad it is
what you think is going on
what you would like to do about it
what your preferences are for getting better (other than as soon as possible)
and, after I've explained my findings to you and our treatment plan
What else do you want to know?
I also want you to explain it to me as it is for you and how you experience it. I don't need you to explain it to me so I understand. Your job is to tell me what it's like and it's my job to ask more questions so that I understand better. This makes me a better clinician.
If you are with me, you should understand
what has happened to which structures (with pictures and models, and an explanation of what the structures look like, what they do and what has changed
what this means for you
what your options are
what healing will look like short term and long term
how long it is likely to take you to get to where you want to go
Look for these communication practices:
Explanation of Treatment Options - The Decision Is Yours
I have been working in healthcare since 2002, but I have never inhabited your body. I have lots of science knowledge, and lots of practical knowledge, and I will tell you what tests/treatments and referrals I think are best, and why.
The choice is then yours. The other thing is, that the choice can generally be switched, and if something isn't working, we can trial something else. You should always know what is happening, when and why.
If I'm suggesting e.g. a cortisone injection for adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), I will suggest quite strongly that cortisone is the clients best option for a good outcome, as it can stop people's shoulder pain from becoming a two year issue with no certainty that it won't come back. There is of course the wait and see option, and while I've not seen that do great things, it is an option you can choose if desired.
However, if it's for a shoulder bursitis, I will give three options
do nothing, see how it goes, it may come right (probably not if it's already more than 8 weeks, but it's always an option.
Do strength training for 8 weeks, then if nothing changes (or if in the 8 weeks it is getting worse) refer for a cortisone injection
Get the cortisone, lift <2kg below shoulder height for one week, <5kg below shoulder height for 1 further week, then do at least 8 weeks of strength training.
How To Check If You Are Receiving Quality Care
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if your healthcare meets these standards. Here are practical tips to help you evaluate and advocate for yourself:
Is your provider listening to what you have to say?
Are they asking clarifying questions?
Are they paying attention to you?
Are they explaining things to you in a way you understand?
Do you feel that your symptoms are being taken seriously, and if they don't think it needs further assessment or investigation, have they explained why this is and what the plan is for escalation?
An example here is a client who was getting better with their back pain, but then it got significantly worse. I said "I'm not happy with your back pain, it's worse, when it was getting better. This isn't what I expect with our plan, and I don't like it. We have two options here, I can refer you off now to the GP, or do that at your next appointment if there is no change. I'm happy to do both, though my preference would be referring you early as I've been seeing you for ages." In the end, we did an early referral and then I re-referred to the GP as I had findings that weren't present in the GP's appointment.
You are always allowed to take control of your own health. Health is not something that other people can do for you. health comes from within. Ask questions, and ask again if it doesn't make sense. Track your symptoms, see if there is a pattern, see if you can change them. And remember, you are always allowed to request a second opinion.
The truth is that rural people have terrible health outcomes. We can change that by being open communicators, and ensuring that our health care providers give us the information that we require for our own ongoing good health. This may be a challenge for some health care providers, but their feelings on this are not your issue.
High-quality healthcare combines technical skill with human connection.
Compassion, empathy, clear communication, thorough explanations, and responsiveness to symptom changes all contribute to care that truly benefits you.
I hope that you can find someone in which you recognise these qualities, so you can make informed choices about your providers and feel confident in your health journey.
Cheers
Storm
For more info - contact me storm@thatfarmingphysio.com or make an appointment via my online booking portal at Elevation
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