One has to be VERY careful about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are one-party and two-party states about 'recording' conversations. Actually in some states, one can go to jail for making a recording w/o the other persons' permission. That is why I only tentatively put it out there. Web it up. - j

Thank you for bring that up because it is so true. Good luck Z on everything Sue...

Yeah, but in my state only one party has to know they are being recorded.

And I feel this way. I have a little gadget called My Little Reminder.
If I am holding it, and press down the record button, and I do it to hear what the diagnosis is, I feel what's the harm?

But if I'm going in with a regular tape recorder I see no harm (if that is what one wants to do), I see no harm in asking the doctor "mind if I record your instructions". Let's say he is telling you to do these particular exercises 3 times a day, and go walking, and take this pill, and use warm compresses", well I would doubt that there is a doctor alive who would say "no, don't tape me".

I mean, these are His instructions. He wants you to do what he's telling you. And if you are of a certain age where you have arthritis and you can't write stuff down, to me, it's just making the doctor's visit easier.

When I go to the eye doctor, he he always holding a recorder and he dictates absolutely everything into it that pertains to my visit. So if he can do THAT. So can I.

It's different than going into a lawyer's office and taping stuff and going into a commercial business and taping stuff.

This is just basic stuff that you would be writing down anyway.

I think it's absolutely important to get ALL information that you have to apply to yourself as far as care is concerned.

I know that most people would not take the time to do this. They would say "oh let the doctor write it down for me".

It's easier to just tape the darn stuff. Then when you go home, you can transcribe it or have someone do it for you.

This is 2008, people do things MUCH differently today. If a person is not comfortable taping and are not sure of the laws, just look it up to see if the state in which you are residing, well if they say it's not against the law, if two people have to know about the recording device, or if only one person has to know.

I mean, college kids tape their courses and bring the tapes home so they can study. It beats copying everything down in class. And you don't miss anything.

You can tape whatever you deem is important.

I remember years ago saying to myself "now why didn't I ask the doctor this question, why didn't I ask that question".

Then I began to write down all my questions.

Do you think I remembered every answer to every question?

If in doubt, ask the physician "mind if I tape this for a few minutes", I have a bad memory". I would LOVE to hear the response.

STATE-BY-STATE ALPHABETICAL LIST

Alabama - One Party
Alaska - One Party
Arkansas - One Party
California - All Party
Colorado - One Party
Connecticut - All Party
Delaware - All Party
District of Columbia - One Party
Florida - All Party
Georgia - One Party
Hawaii - One Party
Idaho - One Party
Illinois - All Party
Indiana - One Party
Iowa - One Party
Kansas - One Party
Kentucky - One Party
Louisiana - One Party
Maine - One Party
Maryland - All Party
Massachusetts - All Party
Michigan - All Party
Minnesota - One Party
Mississippi - One Party
Missouri - One Party
Montana - All Party
Nebraska - One Party
Nevada - One Party
New Hampshire - All Party
New Jersey - One Party
New Mexico - One Party
New York - One Party
North Carolina - One Party
North Dakota - One Party
Ohio - One Party
Oklahoma - One Party
Oregon - One Party
Pennsylvania - All Party
Rhode Island - One Party
South Carolina - One Party
South Dakota - One Party
Tennessee - One Party
Texas - One Party
Utah - One Party
Vermont - One Party
Virginia - One Party
Washington - All Party
West Virginia - One Party
Wisconsin - One Party
Wyoming - One Party

".........I have a bad memory".....

Ah-Hah !............. Alzheimers !!

I thought of the tape recorder years ago. After having more doctor say NO than they did yes, I finally gave up on that ideal. I know the other is having a spouse in the room but that also presents more questions and often ones that I am not interested in. My hands are just about completly dead so my note taking suffers.
I did appreciate that the doctor let me cover up with a blanket as I stay cold all the time unless really being active. They also heated up a small beanbag type thing for my very cold hands and let me warm up hands before testing.


I did so want to change doctors this time but it might be for the best I went to same one as he can tell the big difference. This time since it is much worse he seems interested in more testing. I sure hope so as dead feet and I can still walk but dead hands has already stopped buttoning things, painting and a lot more. Very frustrating to say the least.

I am about to vitamin myself to death as well so the next thing I will need to ask is what to take when.

Thanks everyone and thanks Hey Joe for the list..

On taping - I live in two party state - both have to agree to the recorder and since I have to go to appts alone - its tough.... so if you do have someone to bring with you - do it!!!!

One way people get around the two party recording - at least by phone - is even though you can tell a company you do NOT want to be recorded - they willl have another person listen in on the phone conversation (trust me on this) and be writing it down - they do not reveal this to you and I think its incrediby unethical....

I'm sure many docs dont want to be recorded for the obvious reason - future liabilties - so if you do have to go alone and they wont let you record - write what you can in front of them - even if it takes forever.... and get copy of records asap... so you can remember whats being said!

why would a doctor fear being taped? Don't doctors tell you the truth?
Or-- are they afraid you will find out they don't know what they are talking about? eh?

Just when I had my son, the high risk OB specialist I went to had a woman with mild kidney disease who was pregnant and my doctor (who is just wonderful) gave her all the low down...risks to kidney functions in the future and all.

She decided to continue with the pregnancy (he advised against) and when she delivered she went into kidney failure. She sued him. And that was awful for him because he was really a good guy and good doctor (handled my crisis extremely well and I am here typing because of him )... so after that they recorded all consults with high risk patients. He was considering recording ALL patients and this was 26 yrs ago! A few years later, he left that practice and opened his own fertility clinic. And he remains very respected here to this day. (He himself was a Hodgkin's disease survivor). So this is an example of the patient turning on the doctor and claiming what was said, and not said... etc.

I think doctors who won't let you tape them, have something to hide.
With no tape...it becomes he said/ she said....and you know doctor's typically win in those situations because they have power.

I agree with you MrsD but trust me in my smallish town more doctors said no than yes. So I have to just do the best I can as we have limited number of doctors and right now I do not drive so larger towns would be out of the question for me. I really don't like having my husband in the room every time either. He is depressed enough as it is with both his and my health troubles and I would tend to not ask some things with him there.