5 tips for managing burnout as a patient

If you’re coping with a serious illness or several chronic conditions, you may find that doctor visits, treatments and medications can pile up. This can lead to stress and patient burnout.

When patients become burned out, they often tell me they’re overwhelmed with the number of appointments they have to keep, have trouble sticking to medication regimens or are just tired of dealing with their conditions.

There are ways to help manage the burden, and it starts by sharing your goals and current lifestyle conditions with your primary care physician. Your PCP can then help you review your care plans, look for overlap and manage concerns.

Here are five tips to help you get started on a path toward fewer stressors and a better quality of life.

Optimize specialist visits with your care team

Review the number of specialists who are part of your care team in a given week or month, and streamline when you can.

This may continue to evolve based on active issues, but if a specific condition has been relatively stable, you may be able to extend the period of time between office visits with the related specialist.

If a stable condition needs regular monitoring, your primary care physician also may be able to serve that purpose to reduce the number of times you visit the specialist.

A PCP may also be able to help manage conditions in the interim if you’re struggling to get an appointment with a specific specialist.

Talk openly about medication challenges and bring your medicine to every visit

Discuss the challenges you have staying on track with your medications or getting refills, and take your medication to every doctor visit.

Sometimes the overwhelming amount of needed medication means people start to slip on their regimens or don’t keep up with refills. It just becomes too much.

If you’re having challenges, explain to your doctor the issues you’re facing. Is it time? Cost? Transportation? Side effects?

Doctors may be able to eliminate prescriptions that are no longer needed, replace multiple medications with a single medication that treats more than one condition, or offer a change to something that’s less expensive or easier to take.

Taking your medications to every doctor appointment can help your care team review the way you’re taking your pills and offer suggestions on better strategies.

Make sure to also let your doctor know your goals and priorities, and ask for clear explanations of how your medications help control complications and negative outcomes. This will help you and your doctor ensure you continue taking therapies that have the most benefit.

Don’t skip appointments

As tempting as it may be, having appointments on a routine basis allows for access to the health care specialist’s expertise and gives you an opportunity to communicate concerns.

This also will help your medical team catch any changes early, reducing the chance your condition will worsen. In the long run, this can mean fewer appointments, treatments and medications.

Don’t skip treatment sessions

Sticking with treatments can also fend off future complications, and it can mean greater ability to function and a longer life.

For example, following up on the appropriate treatment for osteoporosis can prevent bone loss. This can stave off any impact to quality of life that might occur from a fracture, and ensure a patient is able to stay physically active and have fewer limitations.

Involve any caregivers, and strategize the best ways they can help

If you have a caregiver, that person may also be feeling overwhelmed. Involve the caregiver in conversations with your health care team, who may be able to offer strategies to help with managing care.

If you have caregiver support at a certain time, try to have that person help you with the most challenging or overwhelming tasks, such as organizing or taking medications.