How well does the medical staff communicate with the patient?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I first noticed the lump in my jaw in November, 2013. I have seen thirteen doctors and therapists since that time:

Family Doctor
Medical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Otolarygologist
   1 - dissection
   1 - reconstruction
Pain Specialist
Proctologist
General Surgeon - Power Port
Ear, Nose, Throat Specialist
Speech and Swallow Therapist
Gastroenterologist
Pulmonary Specialist

Selfie:Waiting in the emergency room

I appreciate and respect the specialty each one has chosen. As with any group of individuals, there were some I liked better than others. But each had their own task to do and some tasks overlapped each other and that I understood.

The problem, however, is that there seemed to be very little communication between the doctors regarding my treatment. Often, doctors would disagree with each other and I was left to decide who to listen to. As a patient under professional medical care, it was awkward to hear one doctor recommend one medication only to have another tell me not to take that and to take another
instead.

We have all heard second opinions matter, but I don't see this as a matter of a second opinion; I see it as differing opinions falling under the same blanket of professionals. In other words, it was not a case of two doctors with the same specialty offering different approaches, it is two doctors with different specialties, assigned to help me within their own specialty, offering opposing viewpoints.

I was also recently told by an "old school" nurse who has been around a long time (her words, not mine!) that doctors may not share all the information you may need. Often, they will wait to see what the patient asks then answers those questions but none other. She suggested that whenever I go to see a doctor, prepare a list beforehand and bring that so those questions can be asked. It's a good idea, too, because I found myself forgetting certain questions only to remember them on the way home.

I have seen a commercial on TV for a cancer-specific healthcare facility with locations in various parts of the country. In the commercial, the group of doctors and specialists assigned to a patient gathered around a conference room table discussing treatment plans. That, to me, sounds like the right way to approach this problem with the best interests of the patient in mind.

And the fact that these doctors and specialists are in different buildings or areas of the city should not matter. Technology has that problem solved. If a 6 year-old boy can talk "face-to-face" with his 85 year-old grandfather from different parts of the country on the computer, certainly a handful of doctors can do the same.