Health & Wellness

WITH DR. JANE KACHOPE

By: Anmarie Bailey

At times, it is a delay, a denial, a misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis; other times, it is not feeling respected, feeling belittled or dismissed. The high rate at which Black women experience negative interactions and outcomes when dealing with the healthcare system, as compared to their white counterparts, is well documented and unsettling.

Not even celebrities are immune. In an interview with Vogue magazine in 2017, Serena Williams shared her experience following an emergency C-section. After recognizing something was wrong, she asked for a CT scan and blood thinner but wasn’t taken seriously by medical staff. Her situation turned out to be life threatening requiring follow-up surgery.

Given this dismal underbelly, how can a woman of color arm herself for the next time her intuition tells her something is not right and she heads off to the doctor or ER? Are there any steps that can be taken?

Edmonton family physician Dr. Jane Kachope of Zoe Medical Centre shared some tips on ways women can empower and advocate for themselves when dealing with the healthcare system.

1) KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE LEADER OF THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP Dr. Jane advises women that they should be in control of the relationship and have the right to be assertive; to ask for what they need and to have things explained in language that is easy to understand. Simply, women have the right to be heard. While doctors are the experts, they owe you the information that is necessary to make informed decisions.

2) EDUCATE YOURSELF As Dr. Jane puts it, “knowledge is power”. She suggests patients utilize the power at their fingertips (the internet) to learn about their diagnosis. While she doesn’t advocate that patients self-diagnose, she encourages patients to do their own research and to educate themselves about their conditions and their medications. She also recommends patients read any literature provided by their doctors, review and understand their test results and become active in their treatment plan. 3) BE WARY OF THE “QUICK” DIAGNOSIS If you know that flutter in your stomach is not “just nerves” then do not settle for a diagnosis of “stress”. Dr. Jane says that while some issues can be attributed to stress, often doctors offer this as an initial diagnosis rather than doing in-depth investigations. She urges Black women to press for tests and answers rather than taking “No” for an answer. Just remember, even Serena Williams had to press for medical intervention too.

4) DON’T BE AFRAID TO SWITCH DOCTORS If you do not feel assured that you are being heard by your doctor or that your voice is not respected; if you just aren’t confident that you have been accurately diagnosed, it is your right to get a second, third, fourth or even a fifth opinion or to change your healthcare provider completely. Every patient deserves to feel comfortable with her physician and it is okay to switch until you find the right fit.

3) BE WARY OF THE “QUICK” DIAGNOSIS If you know that flutter in your stomach is not “just nerves” then do not settle for a diagnosis of “stress”. Dr. Jane says that while some issues can be attributed to stress, often doctors offer this as an initial diagnosis rather than doing in-depth investigations. She urges Black women to press for tests and answers rather than taking “No” for an answer. Just remember, even Serena Williams had to press for medical intervention too.