How to Choose Your Health Care Team
How to choose your health care (or pain management) team
Prepared by Mandy Nielsen, Social Worker, and reviewed by the National Advisory Panel
Note: Before reading this page you might benefit from reading ‘preparing my self to choose my health care team'
There is a range of health care practitioners who may be able to help you manage your pain and minimise the impact it has on your life. Trying to work out which type of doctor or other health practitioner is best for you can be confusing and difficult, not to mention expensive and time consuming. However, it can be helpful to have a ‘team' of health care professionals that you feel comfortable with and have confidence in. This may involve a bit of trial and error. Here are some ideas that might help you decide who to include in your health care team.
Important qualities to look for in your health care team members1
Whoever you decide to include on your health care team, qualities of effective health professionals include someone who:
- Knows about chronic pain and how to treat it (or is prepared to learn).
- Believes you are in pain.
- Listens carefully to your concerns.
- Encourages you to ask questions.
- Is comfortable when you disagree.
- Is willing to speak to your family or friends if you are not feeling well.
- Works with you to develop a pain management plan that helps reduce your pain and sets realistic goals in order for you to regain important activities and skills.
- Provides information about risks and benefits of each pain treatment that is recommended.
- Tells you when he or she doesn't know something about your pain problem or treatment.
Remember: This is your team. If you are not satisfied with the way a health care professional communicates with you or treats you, it is important to either try to discuss this with him or her, or try someone else.
Deciding who to include on your team
The following list will give you some information about the different kinds of health care professionals that many people with chronic pain will see. Please note it does not show any order of recommendation as to who you should see - this will greatly depend on the type of pain you have and who you find the most helpful.
General practitioner (GP)
Your GP or local doctor is usually your main health care provider. He or she is often the first point of contact for someone with ongoing pain. A good GP is someone who:
- You feel comfortable with and trust - you feel you can ask him or her anything and you have confidence in what they tell you
- Understands chronic pain and has experience in treating pain similar to yours or is willing to learn - not all doctors have been trained to treat chronic pain
- Is willing to really listen to you and spend time talking to you about what you are experiencing, how pain is affecting your life, and what your treatment options are, including any possible side-effects of treatments
- Will communicate with other members of your health care team, where appropriate, so that you receive co-ordinated health care, not just bouncing from one doctor or health professional to another.
Medical specialists
There are a number of different medical specialists that you may be referred to for diagnosis and/or pain management, depending on the type of pain you have. These can include, but are not limited to:
A neurologist - a doctor who specialises in the functioning and diseases of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system.
A neurosurgeon - specialises in, amongst other things, nerves that branch out from the spine. If needed, this kind of doctor will perform surgery on the spine or spinal cord.
An orthopaedic surgeon - specialises in diagnosis and surgical treatment of bone, muscle and joint problems.
Pain specialists - doctors who have specialised training in the diagnosis and management of pain problems.
Rheumatologist - a doctor who specialises in processes that involve joints and soft tissues, including multi-system autoimmune diseases, as well as chronic pain (under the heading "fibromyalgia syndrome", FMS) and chronic fatigue (CFS). They help investigate complex, often ambiguous medical processes.
Allied health professionals
Allied health professionals are people who provide a variety of services that may help you with different aspects of living with chronic pain. They can include:
Occupational therapists (OT) - can help you adapt your environment and show you ways to make activities of daily living, such as housework and personal care, easier, and provide advice on useful aids or equipment.
Physiotherapists - can provide advice on exercise, posture and ways to relieve pain, as well as use treatments to maintain joint and muscle movement.
Psychologists - can teach you different ways of thinking about and coping with pain.
Rehabilitation counsellors - can help you with employment and retraining issues. Rehabilitation Counsellors can help you navigate your way through complex rehabilitation systems.
Social workers - can provide support and help with different aspects of your life that may be affected by your pain, such as your family life, income and housing, and other life problems.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
CAM refers to forms of health care that are used in addition (complementary) or instead of (alternative) traditional medical treatment. They can include:
| Acupuncture Chiropractic Homeopathy Hypnosis Massage |
Meditation Naturopathy Osteopathy Reflexology Reiki |
Whoever you decide to include in your pain management team, remember that this is your body and your pain - you are the only one who really knows what your pain is like and how it is affecting your life. Your health care team should work with you and should communicate with each other.
1 From: http://www.chronicpainhub.com/healthcare-provider-important-qualities/