WELCOA's. Crucial. Conversations. How To. Talk. With Your DOC. For more interviews, visit

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1 A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e W e l l n e s s C o u n c i l o f A m e r i c a WELCOA's Crucial Conversations How To Talk With Your DOC For more interviews, visit

2 About Donnica L. Moore, MD Donnica Moore, MD is highly regarded as a women s health educator and as a media commentator. Known as Dr. Donnica, she is President of Sapphire Women s Health Group and hosts DrDonnica.com, a popular women s health information website. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the comprehensive, highly illustrated book Women s Health for Life. Dr. Donnica is best known for her more than 700 television appearances on shows including NBC s Weekend Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, and many others. Dr. Moore has received more than 30 prestigious awards. She is a popular speaker for professional, consumer, workplace, and medical audiences. Her work has been featured in more than 40 periodicals such as Business Week, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Moore graduated from Princeton University and the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine. WELCOA's An Expert Interview with Donnica L. Moore, MD About David Hunnicutt Since his arrival at WELCOA in 1995, David Hunnicutt has interviewed hundreds of the most influential business and health leaders in America. Known for his ability to make complex issues easier to understand, David has a proven track record of asking the right questions and getting straight answers. As a result of his efforts, David s expert interviews have been widely-published and read by workplace wellness practitioners across the country. David Hunnicutt can be reached at dhunnicutt@welcoa.org.

3 I n this exclusive WELCOA Interview, Dr. David Hunnicutt sits down with Dr. Donnica Moore, a physician educator and highly regarded women s health expert and media commentator. Dr. Moore offers first-hand advice for how patients can build a rapport with their health care providers. Dr. Donnica encourages patients to keep track of their own health information and to not be afraid of asking questions during a doctors visit. Her salient advice on the subject concurs with much research that shows patients who have good relationships and communicate with their doctors receive better quality health care and are more satisfied with the care they receive. David Hunnicutt: As a physician, what s the most salient advice you can give to patients or employees on how they can get the most out of their health care appointment? Donnica Moore: Make a list of your questions. You bring a list to the grocery store so you don t forget anything. Why not bring a list of questions to your doctor so you don t forget anything? The questions you bring to your doctor are much more important than missing an item from the grocery store but people usually don t think of it that way. You bring a list to the grocery store so you don t forget anything. Why not bring a list of questions to your doctor so you don t forget anything? Dr. Donnica s Book Is A Great Home-Reference Guide Women everywhere will appreciate Dr. Donnica s book, Women s Health for Life. Written in collaboration with top women s health experts from the United States and Great Britain, the book covers important women s health topics of all kinds. This highly-illustrated guide is a valuable home reference for all women. Order your copy today! In my book, Women s Health for Life, we provide sample questions that people should ask at their preventive visits. These are general questions which should be discussed with your doctor. Number one is: Has anything changed since my last visit? Do I need to change any of my medications, vitamins or supplements? Polypharmacy is one of the big problems we have in medicine, especially as people age and they take multiple medications. Polypharmacy means many drugs and refers to problems that can occur when a patient is taking more medications than are actually needed. Unfortunately, doctors sometimes forget to review all of the medications a patient is on. You should also ask: Do I need any new vaccines? Do I need any new preventive screenings? Do I need any new diagnostic tests? And most importantly, do I need to make any healthy changes in my less than healthy behavior? 3

4 You Can Become WELCOA Faculty Take part in four or more of WELCOA s nationally-recognized certification courses and earn the elite title of WELCOA Faculty! The WELCOA Faculty designation credits those who strive to build effective, results-oriented wellness programs that change lives and transform organizations. Read more at I would also tell patients to avoid the doorknob question. The doorknob question is generally the most important question or issue patients have, but they wait until the exam is fully over before they raise the issue. They may wait until they re fully dressed, and then when their hand is on the doorknob they say, Oh, by the way, Dr. Smith, I forgot to tell you about my breast mass. Or, I forgot to tell you I ve been having blood in my stool. This is a very important issue that should be asked first and foremost. So when you re making a list of questions, be sure to prioritize them. There s nothing wrong with bringing the list to your appointment so that you don t forget anything. These are general questions which should be discussed with your doctor. Number one is: Has anything changed since my last visit? Do I need to change any of my medications, vitamins or supplements? I think the third most important piece of advice and I just discussed this in a Good Morning America health interview is that you need to maintain your own organized medical records at home. One of the most important pieces of paper you need is your vaccination record. People forget that vaccine-preventable diseases account for more deaths per year than automobile accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS combined. The flu is one of the most common vaccine-preventable illnesses, and this is something most of us take for granted. Flu vaccines are available annually, yet 20,000 to 40,000 Americans die per year from the flu. Most of those deaths are within the adult population. Log on to the nation's best website for workplace wellness! Wellness Council of America

5 DH: What s the best way for someone to establish a good rapport with their physician? DM: I think you need to remember that doctors are people too. So the same rules of communication and establishing good communication apply with your physician as they do with anyone else. Communication is built on respect, honesty and trust. Of course, seeing a physician can be an intimidating encounter, especially if you re sitting there in a robe that doesn t cover your backside! However, you still need to act and communicate like you would in any other professional situation shake hands, make eye contact, ask questions; interact with this person. And then, just as in any other relationship, if the chemistry is not there or the communication is not working, you need to think about how you can change that, or you need to think about establishing a new relationship with another health care provider. DH: Let s say a patient, who has good rapport with their doctor, has something come up that s an issue of concern and the individual wants to get a second opinion. Is that a deal breaker for most doctors? What s the best way to go about doing that? DM: If that is a deal breaker in any way for your physician, then that s a big red flag. No doctor should be offended if you get a second opinion. In fact, if you re having major surgery, or if you have a rare disease where there are several different treatment options, your physician should probably suggest you get that second opinion. You also want your primary care physician to have good dialogue and communication with any specialist that you need to see. You Can Find Dr. Donnica On The Web! Dr. Donnica hosts a popular women s health information website covering topics related to women s health, drug development, balancing work and family, and others. She is well known for her engaging and entertaining style which she refers to as Medicine Lite, using humor as the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. Read more about her work at: DrDonnica.com 5

6 DH: What are the biggest mistakes people make when they access and utilize the health care system? WELCOA Membership Is Just $1 A Day Join the Nation s premier resource for workplace wellness and you ll get all the training and resources you need to improve employee health and contain company costs. Plus you ll get to share in the wealth of knowledge from America s Healthiest Companies. Become a WELCOA member today! Visit: DM: I think it s probably that people don t access or utilize the health care system soon enough. Here s where Benjamin Franklin s statement about an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is really, really applicable. You want to go early, but not too often. Go for your annual, routine preventive care visit. In between that time, if you have bothersome symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible as opposed to waiting until those symptoms progress. Go for your annual, routine preventive care visit. In between that time, if you have bothersome symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible as opposed to waiting until those symptoms progress. I think not doing your homework is probably the other big mistake people make. Our country s medical problems, diseases and costs are largely due to unhealthy behaviors. One of those behaviors includes failing to do simple medical interventions in advance, such as getting the recommended vaccines. And I can t emphasize that enough. DH: What s the best way to get vaccines when they are in short supply? DM: I am a huge fan of the CVS Minute Clinic. It s fabulous for quick, simple, medical interventions such as vaccines. I take my kids to the CVS Minute Clinic for vaccines or strep throat swabs. I don t need an appointment and there s usually no wait. There are other drugstore chains that offer this as well. There are many municipalities who also offer flu vaccine days Wellness Council of America

7 As a side note, I d like to tell you that in 2004 there was a nationwide shortage of the flu vaccine. I did not get myself or my children vaccinated, and it was the worst flu I ever had. My daughter and I were terribly, terribly ill for 10 days. My 11 year old son was also very ill and as a result of not getting the vaccine, he went on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which I, as a physician, did not even know kids could get! So people really need to be aware of the consequences of not getting the flu vaccine (or other vaccines). Be persistent if they are in short supply call your doctor and check local pharmacies and clinics. DH: Is it realistic to think that physicians and health care professionals can and will counsel their patients with respect to diet and exercise? DM: I think it s realistic, but the sad fact is that many of them don t. The reality is that most physicians don t have the time in their appointments, sufficient training, or the reimbursement codes to provide extensive ongoing counseling with respect to diet and exercise. I would like to see each health care provider offer every patient a local list of therapists, dieticians, support groups, fitness clubs, etc. I think that s a great place to start. DH: Do you offer the same advice to males and females in terms of getting the most out of their health care visits? DM: The most important advice for men is to actually make and attend their annual health care appointment. Men are notoriously less likely to make preventive health care visits. For women, I would also say that the most important advice is to continue going to their routine health care checkups. I think with both men and women you can t overemphasize the value of preventive behavioral practices. The Well Workplace Model Offers Results The ultimate goal of WELCOA membership is to help you successfully design and implement results-oriented wellness programs. Using the proven WELCOA Well Workplace Model and patented 7 Benchmarks approach, your organization will get an inside track to becoming one of America s Healthiest Companies. Find out more: php DH: What role do you think prevention is going to play in the future of medicine? DM: It s going to be hugely important in so many respects. The beauty of prevention is that it s usually simple, obvious actions that result in huge payoffs in both your health and your wallet. They re the things your mother always told you, or should have always told you about being healthy. Don t over-indulge on dessert. Have your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Don t smoke. Drink only occasionally. And get a good night s sleep. You know, sleep deprivation alone is hugely responsible for medical problems, cognitive dysfunction, over-usage of medication and absenteeism. Most of us, including doctors, take sleep deficits for granted because we were trained in a culture of sleep deprivation. We have this culture where we feel like we re getting a red badge of honor if we get little sleep. We think we re being productive, but in reality we re increasing our risk of car accidents and on-the- job accidents. But it s very common for people to come into work and say, Oh, I only had six hours of sleep last night. And then somebody else says, Oh, that s nothing. I got five hours of sleep. And we think this is some kind of achievement, but it s really, really bad for us. 7

8 A T - A - G L A N C E S U M M A R Y WELCOA Members Get Free Incentive Campaigns Innovative incentive campaigns from WELCOA offer you fresh ways to engage employees in your wellness programs. Campaigns focus on a range of topics including physical activity, nutrition, stress-management and more and come complete with everything you need to be successful! Browse sample campaigns at: Every year, WELCOA members get 3 new incentive campaigns at no cost. Join today! Notable & Quotable from Donnica L. Moore, MD Crucial Questions For Your Appointment These are general questions which should be discussed with your doctor. Number one is: Has anything changed since my last visit? Do I need to change any of my medications, vitamins or supplements? You should also ask: Do I need any new vaccines? Do I need any new preventive screenings? Do I need any new diagnostic tests? And most importantly, do I need to make any healthy changes in my less than healthy behavior? PAGE 3 Communicate Effectively Of course, seeing a physician can be an intimidating encounter, especially if you re sitting there in a robe that doesn t cover your backside! However, you still need to act and communicate like you would in any other professional situation shake hands, make eye contact, ask questions; interact with this person. PAGE 5 Getting A Second Opinion If you re having major surgery, or if you have a rare disease where there are several different treatment options, your physician should probably suggest you get that second opinion. You also want your primary care physician to have good dialogue and communication with any specialist that you need to see. PAGE 5 Counseling Patients On Lifestyle Choices The reality is that most physicians don t have the time in their appointments, sufficient training, or the reimbursement codes to provide extensive ongoing counseling with respect to diet and exercise. I would like to see each health care provider offer every patient a local list of therapists, dieticians, support groups, fitness clubs, etc. I think that s a great place to start. PAGE 7 The Beauty Of Prevention The beauty of prevention is that it s usually simple, obvious actions that result in huge payoffs in both your health and your wallet. They re the things your mother always told you, or should have always told you about being healthy. Don t over-indulge on dessert. Have your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Don t smoke. Drink only occasionally. And get a good night s sleep. PAGE Wellness Council of America

9 Now, interestingly, I also think that because of our recent focus on health care reform and because of our troubles in the economy, people have really started focusing on cutting their health care expenditures. What people need to understand is that there s nothing that saves you more money and time than being healthy. And again it s the common sense things and common sense things do not cost you money. It drives me crazy when I hear people talking about healthful eating, and they say something like Well, people can t eat healthfully because it costs more money. For starters, 50 percent of Americans are obese. So, if this population ate only half of what they re currently eating, this would automatically cut their grocery bill in half. If you cut out drinking soda, which nobody needs to drink, you can save a significant amount of money on your weekly expenditures. Potato chips are another example. Potato chips are very expensive if you calculate how much they cost per pound. You could feed a healthy dinner to a family of four for the cost of one pound of potato chips. So, it s very common sense, preventive behaviors that can have a big impact. I think we have reached a tipping point, and I think that the attention given to these issues has reached a critical mass that s going to give way to significant changes. WELCOA Takes The Work Out Of Workplace Wellness! WELCOA offers the best selection of colorful, easy-to-read employee resources and wellness products. Hundreds of brochures, lifestyle guides, books, posters and much, much more are now available in one convenient location. Shop all WELCOA resources at our new estore! Visit: DH: Are you optimistic about what lies ahead for medicine and health? DM: I am an optimistic person, and I see many, many opportunities for improvement. I also see many cultural changes that are influencing the prevention revolution. For example, there are places like New York City that have statutes requiring fast food restaurants to display calorie counts on their menus. That is a really easy, cost-free innovation that raises awareness. We see television shows like The Biggest Loser that have become hugely successful, which I think has a big impact on society. Magazines, newspapers and publications are now regularly printing articles about preventive medicine and the value of preventive medicine. The media is now covering preventive stories, but it wasn t too long ago that they weren t interested in anything less than a dramatic breakthrough in treatment. I think we have reached a tipping point, and I think that the attention given to these issues has reached a critical mass that s going to give way to significant changes. about Madeline Jahn mol Madeline Jahn is the Communications Associate for the Wellness Council of America. Her role is to coordinate the development of new publications and pool existing resources for WELCOA members, serving the mission of health promotion through marketing and planning support. She has a Master s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the College of Saint Mary. For questions about this publication, or to obtain permission for reprinting, please contact Maddy at mjahn@welcoa.org. 9

10 UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS WEBINARS WELCOA 2011 Webinar Series We are pleased to announce our dynamic 2011 WELCOA Webinar Series. This year, we are focusing on a number of exciting topics that will help you in your quest to build and sustain a results-oriented wellness program. Each Webinar is conducted by a nationally-recognized expert in the field of workplace wellness. And perhaps best of all, each session is offered in a Webinar format which allows you to access the information without having to leave your office. *The Webinar series is free to WELCOA members. If you are a current WELCOA member and would like to register, please visit If you re not a WELCOA member, you should be! Visit: Become a WELCOA member for only $365/yr and attend all these webinars for free! JANUARY Title: Eat Right for Life: A Common-Sense Approach To Promoting Better Nutrition At The Workplace Registration for this webinar is now closed. FEBRUARY Title: Gaining Great CEO Support: How To Get And Keep Senior Level Support In A Down Economy Registration for this webinar is now closed. APRIL Title: Coronary Health Improvement Project Registration for this webinar is now closed Wellness Council of America JUNE Title: Unleashing The Power Of Medical Self-Care In Your Organization Registration for this webinar is now closed. AUGUST Title: 11 Ridiculously Simple Things You Can Do To Nudge Physical Activity Along In Your Organization Registration for this webinar is now closed. SEPTEMBER Title: Little Things Make A Big Difference: How America's Healthiest Companies Create Excitement and Generate Participation Registration for this webinar is now closed. it is comforting to know that WELCOA exists, and that they are pushing us in the right direction. NOVEMBER Title: Are Cell Phones Making Us Sick? An Examination Of The Latest Research And The Implications For Your Workforce Date: Thursday, November 17 Time: 9:30 11:00 AM Central DECEMBER Title: Terrific Teams: The Six Secrets Of Best In Class Workplace Wellness Teams Date: Thursday, December 15 Time: 9:30 11:00 AM Central Superb! WELCOA hit the nail on the head Loved it!

11 UPCOMING CERTIFICATION EVENTS CERTIFICATIO WELCOA 2011 Certification Opportunities WELCOA has certified more than a thousand of the best and brightest health and business leaders in the U.S. through its comprehensive and dynamic online courses. Here are the opportunities now available for 2011 all certification opportunities are FREE to WELCOA members. *To learn more about the certification series, be sure to visit To become a WELCOA member simply visit Become a WELCOA member for only $365/yr and attend all these webinars. These webinars are open only to WELCOA members MARCH Title: Well Workplace University How To Demonstrate A Return-On-Investment Registration for this certification is now closed. JULY/AUGUST Title: Well Workplace University The Art And Science Of Changing Unhealthy Behaviors Registration for this certification is now closed. OCTOBER Title: Well Workplace University How To Effectively Manage Your Workplace Wellness Initiative Registration for this certification is now closed. APRIL/MAY Title: Well Workplace University Building A Results- Oriented Workplace Wellness Program Using WELCOA's Seven Benchmarks Registration for this certification is now closed. WELCOA offers valuable information that is greatly appreciated. 11

12 Wellness Council of America [WELCOA] Marcy Street, Suite 140 Omaha, NE Phone: Fax: