Dear Dr. Toshi,
I have an appointment coming up at my doctor's office. Could you tell me how to use my time with my provider in the most effective way?
When you go to see your doctor or provider in a clinic, there are many things you can do to make the time more useful for yourself. Doctors and providers are specially-trained people who are your partners in keeping yourself healthy. It's important to remember that you're the one who is always with you no matter where you are! Doctors and other providers can share their knowledge with you, guide you, help you, and also treat your body when treatments are available.
I'd like to share some tips to help you take advantage of your visit to your doctor or your primary care provider.
- Try to be on time.
- If you can, bring all of your medications with you including over-the-counter (store-bought) supplements. If you can't bring them all, bring a list of all of them, including doses and how many you take every day.
- Wear comfortable clothes that are loose for physical exam. For example, if you are seeing your doctor for knee pain, please wear loose pants (or change into a gown), so the doctor can examine your knee.
- If you've been keeping track of your blood pressure, blood sugar, amount of exercise, temperature, etc., be sure to bring those records with you.
- Bring in questions. If you write your questions down ahead of time, you won't forget to ask them.
- Make a list of the medical issues you want to talk about, and prioritize them before you go to the appointment. There might only be time to address the most important ones, so it's important to know which you're most concerned about.
- When you're talking with your doctor or provider and you don't understand certain medical terminology they use, be sure to ask them. Please don't feel embarrassed to ask! We shouldn't use medical terminology, but sometimes we forget and we never mind patients asking us what we mean!
- After you tell your provider about your major symptoms, if he or she asks you if you have any other symptoms, it's helpful to think from head to toe, picturing your entire body.
- When you go to the Emergency Room, tell the doctor or other medical professionals what needs to be taken care of most urgently. For instance, if you're having chest pain, tell that to the doctor or the provider first. You can tell them about chronic conditions like back pain that's been going on for years and hasn't changed later during your visit.
- Bring a notebook and something to write with so you can take notes. It's a good idea to keep a notebook just for your health.
- Take notes when your doctor or provider gives you instructions.
- Make sure you review those notes when you get home, and again before your next appointment.
- It's helpful to make an appointment at least a few days before your medications run out. Don't wait until the day your medication runs out, or even after it runs out.
If you do all or most of these things, you'll get a lot more out of your visits to your provider, and that means better health for you!
Dr. Toshiko ("Toshi") Luckow, MD, is a Family Physician at the West River Health Services Hospital and Clinics.