Communicating with your child's doctor

Clinical Social Worker Kathryn Elison, MSW, shares advice for parents with a hospitalized child on how to speak up and communicate better with your child's doctor
How To Communicate Better With Your Hospitalized Child's Doctor
KidsInTheHouse the Ultimate Parenting Resource
Kids in the House Tour

Communicating with your child's doctor

Comment
74
Like
74
Transcription: 
One way you can better communicate with your child’s doctors is to be prepared. Come with a list of your questions – the doctors are there to give you answers. So oftentimes, parents get in the room with the doctors and get very silent and don’t want to speak up. But then that night, they go home and think of a thousand different things that they wanted to ask. So get up and write down your questions so the next time you speak with your child’s doctors, you’re prepared with your questions that you need addressed. Another thing you want to do is create a positive relationship with your medical team – that way the communication between the doctors and yourself will be improved. You are the expert on your child. You have valuable information to provide the medical team. So don’t be afraid to speak up. You know your child the best. By having better communication with your child’s medical team, it helps you be more active in your child’s healing process.

Clinical Social Worker Kathryn Elison, MSW, shares advice for parents with a hospitalized child on how to speak up and communicate better with your child's doctor

Related Videos

Transcript

Expert Bio

More from Expert

Kathryn Elison, MSW

Clinical Social Worker, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Kathryn Elison is a Clinical Social Worker at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She was drawn to her profession because of her passion to provide support to families experiencing a medical crisis. Kathryn accompanies her patients and their families during one of the most stressful journeys of their lives, helping them navigate through this challenge and supporting them each step of the way. A native of North Carolina, Kathryn moved to Los Angeles, CA after receiving a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her free time, Kathryn enjoys exploring her new home state of California with her husband Jed and her dog Sallie.

More Parenting Videos from Kathryn Elison, MSW >
Enter your email to
download & subscribe
to our newsletter
  Listen or Watch
Must See First Year Videos
Three important rules about your baby's first foods
First year milestones
Postnatal depression and loneliness advice
Baby losing interest in nursing
The importance of spending quality time during early childhood
Narrating an infant's environment
Research based benefits of co-sleeping
Bonding versus attachment
Bonding with your baby after a less-than-perfect birth
Preventing postpartum depression
Play All 34 Videos
Featured Experts: Alan Greene, MD, Lawrence Kagan, MD, Barbara Olinger, MSW
More Playlists >
Transcription: 
One way you can better communicate with your child’s doctors is to be prepared. Come with a list of your questions – the doctors are there to give you answers. So oftentimes, parents get in the room with the doctors and get very silent and don’t want to speak up. But then that night, they go home and think of a thousand different things that they wanted to ask. So get up and write down your questions so the next time you speak with your child’s doctors, you’re prepared with your questions that you need addressed. Another thing you want to do is create a positive relationship with your medical team – that way the communication between the doctors and yourself will be improved. You are the expert on your child. You have valuable information to provide the medical team. So don’t be afraid to speak up. You know your child the best. By having better communication with your child’s medical team, it helps you be more active in your child’s healing process.