Your Responsibilities as a Patient

Heath care is a team effort.  You, as the patient, are a primary team member and as such, you are expected to be an active participant in your health care.

Your responsibilities include:

• Ensuring your health care provider has accurate and complete information about current symptoms and complaints; current medications and treatments; allergies and past medical history including illness, injury and treatments;

• Keeping all appointments and NOTIFYING THE OFFICE IN ADVANCE if this is not possible;

• Returning to the clinic if you are still unwell after treatment;

• Notifying your primary care provider of any significant change in condition or reaction to treatment or diagnostics;

• Actively participating in all decisions about treatments and asking questions if there is any confusion—please continue to ask questions if you still don’t understand;

• Complying with prescribed treatments and lifestyle changes or discussing options or alternatives with the provider(s), and asking for help if you don’t understand how;

• Scheduling your own diagnostic imaging appointments, e.g. ultrasound.  A requisition will be provided to you by our office, but it is your responsibility to call and schedule your appointment.  No one knows your schedule better than you do!

• Booking an appointment to follow up when your provider orders diagnostic testing, i.e. lab work, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. especially if you are unwell;

• Calling the pharmacy to have your prescriptions refilled (if you have refills) or calling to make an appointment BEFORE you run out if you have no refills. We would like to see you once a year to renew all of your medications (narcotics not included); please keep your medications in their original containers.

• Calling the office to enquire about test results or specialist appointments if a reasonable amount of time has elapsed without hearing from us.

• Informing reception of any changes to your address, phone number, health card number or change in pharmacy. It’s important to keep this information up-to-date!

Be an active member of your health care team!