Have you ever had any doubts or realized that you forgot to mention anything to your doctor after your appointment with him? This happens to most of us. If not at all times, for the most part, we are tense during the visit. However, the anxiety doesn’t help us remember the things we wanted to discuss with our physician. Hence it is always best to be prepared when going to meet them. To help you prepare for your next appointment, we believe that below are a few tips that will add value to the visit.
1. Make a list of the concerns and prioritize them
A dozen questions hover when we are in the physician’s cabin, and often we are confused on what to start with, given the time. It is always better to jot down a list of concerns and prioritize them before the visit. It could be as simple as mentioning specific symptoms, knowing about the treatment process, and as complex as discussing your feelings of anxiety and depression.
2. Be Specific
While stating your symptoms, be very specific. Do not make any assumptions from some prior knowledge or the information obtained on the internet. You may mislead your physician either by missing out on particular symptoms or telling more than required, both of which will lead to the wrong diagnosis. Hence, it is always preferable that you stick to the facts and not deviate or end up confusing the physician.
3. Do not hide anything from the physician
Your visit has a purpose, and the physician is here to help you. But without your help, he is not going to succeed in his work. He needs to know precisely why you are there and what is causing discomfort to you. You may end up with the wrong diagnosis and treatment by hiding or lying—the more honest information the physician has from you, the better treatment he can prescribe.
4. Sharing Family Health History
Few genetic health issues running in the family can also affect you with time. Sharing your family’s health background will help the medical practitioner to understand your current health condition. It will aid them to either rule out the genetics or consider it to plan the way forward
5. Sharing Ongoing Treatment Medications
Share a list of the medicines you have with your physician to help him understand your ongoing treatment. The medical practitioner needs to know every detail of the medication you are already taking. Details like the name of the medicine, dosage, schedule, etc., need to be mentioned to help the physician understand your health condition and prescribe medication accordingly.
6. Discuss your Diet or Physical Activity
Diet and physical activity go hand in hand. Do share these aspects with your physician. Keep them informed about what kind of diet you follow, what foods you are allergic to or intolerant to, how much physical activity you do in a day. Make sure to discuss with your doctor if you plan to lose or gain weight or follow some diet before implementing it as it may affect your health.
7. Ensuring you get all the answers
Physicians generally encourage you to ask questions and are more than happy to address them. So do not hesitate to ask questions or voice your concerns during your appointment. Remember, no question is dumb. You need to understand what is going on in your body, so be open and ask any query you have to get the best medical treatment rather than being unaware of your health situation.
Sometimes the best doctors may be unable to answer some questions. However, most doctors will tell you when they don’t have answers and may help you find the information you need or refer you to a specialist.
8. Remember the doctor’s instructions
At the end of the visit, ask for a recap. “Ask the doctor to repeat the instructions you’re supposed to follow, if possible, request for a written note, or you can jot down the points and ensure that both of you are on the same page. Remember the schedule of the medicines, the dos, and the don’ts. You can also ask for contact details and drop in an email or call him for further queries.
Taking these small additional steps before and during your appointment with the physician will add better value to your visit.
The information we’ve discussed above can be a lot to take in. But if your physician asks you for lab tests or health check-ups, you can choose home lab services that are affordable and convenient. myOnsite Healthcare provides a one-stop solution for all your home lab services needs with a paperless workflow from scheduling to test results with real-time tracking.
Book an appointment online, or you can call or Text message us at (941) 271-0701.