Are you anxious about that upcoming doctor’s appointment? Or, perhaps you don’t know how much information to share with your primary physician, or don’t want to burden your doctor with too much information. Well, I’d like to put you at ease and share with you some best practices regarding how to make the most of your doctor’s visits.
Openness and honesty are two of the core tenets to building a healthy and trusted doctor-patient relationship. If you’re honest about your lifestyle, habits, stressors, symptoms, etc., that is the only way a doctor can truly get to the core of how to help you live a healthier life. Holding information back—good or bad—from your primary physician will only short-change you.
As a busy physician, I see several common missteps among patients when it comes to making the most of their doctor visits. One of the most important things is to ask up front, when scheduling your appointment, for the time that you think you need for any problem. Most acute doctor visits are scheduled for 15 minutes. If a patient comes in with a list of concerns, however, this typically cannot be resolved in 15 minutes. This leads to frustration for the patient, as well as the physician, not to mention the other patients who are kept waiting because now the physician is running late. If you would like more time with the doctor, ask the receptionist, in advance, for more time. Upon seeing your doctor, set expectations upfront by asking, “How much time do we have today to talk about my concerns?”
In terms of preparing for a meeting with your primary doctor, it’s best to have a list of current medications, including all supplements that you are taking. If you have a problem that has been going on for a prolonged duration, it’s helpful to have a written timeline that you can refer to. Patients often say, “It’s been going on for a while.” I never know if that means days, weeks, months, or years. Having a clear timeline will help your primary physician better troubleshoot the problem and its severity.
If you have a chronic problem, particularly one that gets exacerbated by certain situations, it’s helpful to chronicle in a journal the time of day it happens, and makes it better/worse, how you’ve tried to alleviate the symptoms and any other details you can share. It’s also helpful to keep an updated list of surgeries and dates, and any ongoing medical issues. Most doctors have EMR (Electronic Medical Records), but oftentimes data gets entered incorrectly, so be sure to keep your own record, which can be cross-referenced for accuracy.
I routinely recommend patients bring someone with them to appointments as a second set of ears or to remember health concerns you may forget to address. This is especially important if a patient has memory concerns, hearing difficulties, or there is a complex diagnosis that requires extra attention such as a cancer diagnosis, or was recently diagnosed with the onset of diabetes. Since many patients are prone to forget or get nervous during appointments, it is not a bad idea to record a visit, but you should notify the doctor in advance to receive their consent.
To further maximize your doctor’s appointment, asking clarifying questions is particularly important. If you don’t understand the plan at the end of your visit, you should double-check with the doctor or someone on staff. Most EMRs generate a summary of your visit with a list of things to do, but it is good to verbally recap next steps during your office visit. If you do not feel you have been heard during your visit, speak up. Most doctors are seeing many patients a day and need to wrap up a visit quickly. Oftentimes, they will have the nurse or a medical assistant come in to help explain the follow-up plan so they can start seeing the next patient. Make sure you are completely clear on the plan before leaving the doctor’s office.
I am often asked if telehealth visits are as effective as in-person visits. Telehealth visits are good if you have COVID-19, or a concern about a follow-up lab result/test. They’re also a good option when the commute to your doctor’s office is long and you don’t live in the area. While telehealth visits are rising in popularity, particularly in the wake of COVID, physicians still prefer an in-person visit, as we rely heavily on the physical exam, which involves listening to the lungs, heart, palpating the abdomen, looking in ears/eyes, etc.).
Be sure to make an appointment for your next routine checkup. These tips will help you make the most of your doctor’s visit and help make sure your concerns are heard.
Live wise!
