Welcome! [www.aarda.org]

AARDA is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical, and efficient manner.

Welcome!

The information presented will be made available at You don't need to take notes!

We are honored to be joined by our guest speaker, Dr. Santos, MD



Thank you for participating. This webinar was held on October 30, 2018. Our featured speaker was Dr. Santos, M.D. and he was joined by AARDA staff members Sandra, Katie, and Laura.

If you ever have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us! Send an email to aarda@

Please note that the additional comments are a summarized version of what was spoken about. It is not a transcript. If you need any assistance we can provide the video recording, or an audio only recording.

As patients with everything that we have to deal with, it can be easy to overlook the doctor's perspective. Understanding that perspective can help build a better relationship with your health care team. Your doctor can be your best ally in fighting the battle against autoimmune disease with you.

The Doctor-Patient Relationship

Working together with your doctor(s) to treat your autoimmune disease(s)

This is one of the most important factors in healthcare. However just because a doctor is knowledgeable, it doesn't automatically mean a doctor has a great bedside manner. A good doctor is both and may take some effort to find. Communication is very important for both sides to get the best care. You need to get a doctor who is willing to listen, but also be respectful that your doctor doesn't have much time to talk. Being prepared is very important.

Importance of a Good Doctor Patient Relationship

Doctors are friends not foes Dealing with chronic illness is difficult Many obstacles fighting the relationship

Doctors want what is best for their patients. Doctors do not know everything. There is a wealth of available information, but that also means that there is an abundance of misinformation. Modern medicine has put a tremendous stress on the doctor-patient relationship. Physicians are now busier and have less time and get less time to have face to face interactions with their patients. Electronic medical record keeping means a lot of time has to spent on dictating notes or having a scribe in the room. Additionally, government regulations require reporting on information for things like disease statistics, but that takes away time from patient care. With step therapy patients get angry because they think doctors aren't approving the medications. However, it is the insurance companies who have their own formularies, and each have the own list of drugs to use first. Despite doctor's best efforts they can still be delays, and it's not unlikely for the decisions to be taken out of the hands of the physicians. For more information on step therapy, please visit

Importance of Good Rapport

Information is gathered Trust is established Diagnosis is made Compliance is strengthened Healing and patient activation accomplished

Despite all of the obstacles the doctor-patient relationship is one of the biggest factors that determines successful outcomes. Information is collected, trust is established. Coming prepared to your visit is so important because with the lack of time your physician has, you need to be able to be comfortable, and trust that doctor to be able to cover everything you need to during the appointment. With a good rapport, diagnosis is made and better compliance with treatment happens which means healing and patient activation. (Patient activation--or having the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage one's health ) If patients can't trust or opening up with their doctor, they won't be able to get the best healthcare. Likewise, if the physician is distracted, short tempered, or unengaged can be as equally damaging. Both parties need to work together for the best outcomes, or probably find a better relationship.

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