Active listening is important. Your health care provider needs to know not only your symptoms but also your concerns so that they can adequately address them.

Arguably this is even more crucial for patients with rare diseases who often end up knowing more about their disease than most general practitioners.

Most of us have at some point felt that an appointment has been rushed and have been left unsure about what our doctor truly heard and what made it into the chart.

Do you feel that your health care team actively listens to you? Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t feel like you were being heard?