Making the Most of Your Relationship with your Healthcare Team

Another key relationship to manage is the one you have with different members of your healthcare team.

People with diabetes can sometimes find appointments tricky, due to feeling misunderstood, feeling rushed in relatively short appointments (e.g. “How can I possibly fit everything I need to think about into 15 minutes with my consultant?!) and /or feeling that they should only really talk about the medical/physical side of diabetes.

Many people fear the scrutiny that can come with appointments, and end up feeling as if they are being criticised. Some of the traditional language around diabetes care can itself be tricky, with phrases like “diabetes control” (– as if it is possible to completely control it) and focus on “test” results, for example.

Equally, healthcare professionals can also experience challenges. They can sometimes struggle to really know how to get alongside and truly help with what may be bothering you; they can also feel rushed in relatively short appointments (e.g. “How can I possibly genuinely ask about all the things that are important to this person in just 15 minutes?!”), and can experience a lot of pressure to be the perfect “expert” and have all the answers.

Click on the items below for a few ideas for making the most of your appointment (as suggested by the British psychologist Jen Nash, 2013):

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