Building Effective Partnerships

Strong partnerships between people with epilepsy and their health professionals are built on mutual respect, clear communication, shared decision‑making, and being well‑informed. When both sides work together, people feel more confident, supported, and involved in their care.

Health professionals should welcome patients who show interest in understanding their condition, ask questions, and want to participate in decisions. This collaboration helps achieve the best possible outcomes.

What Makes a Good Health Partnership?

Effective partnerships often include:

• Taking an active interest in your health and learning about your condition
• Finding a doctor you feel comfortable with and can communicate openly
• Preparing for appointments, including arriving on time and knowing what you want to discuss
• Exploring treatment options and feeling confident to seek a second opinion when needed

Choosing a doctor

Choosing a doctor is an important step – and often more complex than it seems.

For some people, location or availability limits choice. However, telehealth is expanding access, and many specialists now offer online follow‑up appointments after an initial face‑to‑face consultation.

Click Here to hear Associate Professor Cecilie Lander discuss what to consider when choosing a doctor.

Developing a partnership

Everyone has their own learning and communication style. Helping your doctor understand how you learn best can make appointments more effective. Think about whether you prefer:

• diagrams or visual explanations
• stories or examples
• detailed descriptions
• talking through options
• doing your own research
• or a combination of these

Knowing your learning style helps you ask clearer questions and guides your doctor in how to communicate information.

Preparing for appointments

It’s common to leave an appointment feeling like you forgot to ask something important. Preparing ahead of time can help you make the most of your visit.

Tips for getting the most out of your appointment:

• Write a list of questions and add to it as new ones arise.
• Keep a diary of seizures or events including any possible triggers, and bring it with you.
• Prioritise your questions a day or two before your appointment. If you have many, consider booking a longer consultation.
• Practice giving a clear medical history, including why you’re attending, what happened, when it happened, and any symptoms you’ve noticed.
• Keep a list of other health conditions and medications you’re taking.
• Stay focused. Your doctor will ask for more detail if needed.
• Be honest. Your doctor can only make good decisions based on the information you provide.
• Clarify your diagnosis. If it’s uncertain, ask what possibilities are being considered and how they will be narrowed down.
• Ask about tests. What will they show? What won’t they show? Are there costs involved?
• Discuss next steps. Ask how treatment may affect driving, work, study, safety, and any risks you need to be aware of.

Remember: this is a team effort. Your doctor cannot predict every challenge you face, so speaking up is important.

Seeking second opinions

Many people worry about how their doctor will react to a second opinion – but it’s a normal and accepted part of healthcare.

Click Here to listen to Dr Dan MacLaughlin,  Epileptologist, discuss how and why to seek second opinions.

You may also like to read the article Seeking a Second Opinion in the Epilepsy 360˚ Magazine.