Our greatest asset is not money, our possessions, but actually is our health. In this changing world of health care, it is important to remain the captain of our own medical ship.
Learning what you can do to improve the quality of your interactions with your healthcare providers is one way to feel in control of your health situation. Even if you have a satisfactory relationship with your healthcare providers, there is always something to improve upon to optimize your medical appointments.
Reduce Office Visit Stress: First of all, many patients find an office visit stressful, I recommend taking a few minutes in the waiting room or in the appointment room to focus and relieve that stress before seeing your provider. Most clinics use the computerized medical record now, so when starting the appointment, let the provider settle in and review old notes on the computer. It will take a minute or two for them to find their place, and we can use this time to deep breath, remain calm and decrease appointment jitters.
Plan Ahead: Be prepared. Take the initiative by spending some time preparing for the appointment. Bring in information about your medications, pertinent health history and recent health concerns. Patients often leave their doctor’s office forgetting to ask important questions about their treatment or medical condition. Write down and bring in a list of questions and concerns you’d like to address. I recommend letting your practitioner know at the start of the appointment that you have these questions and why they are important. Most appointments are short 10-20 minutes, so staying focused on the key questions is important. The less time you spend trying to remember all the things going wrong, the more time available to discuss options. Usually there is time for 1-2 questions, maybe 3 at the most. If you forget to ask a question or have new questions, give yourself permission to contact the doctor’s office after your appointment to get clarification. You might need to schedule another appointment to address additional concerns.
Take Initiative: Taking notes during the appointment is good idea to help remember key points. You might bring a loved one into the appointment to help you remember what was said as a friend or family member can often listen more objectively. Give yourself permission to ask your healthcare team questions pertaining to your care. You may need to slow the conversation down in order to get your questions answered, and to make sure you understand terms and your treatment plan. Summarize the visit to make sure you and your provider have a mutually agreed upon plan of care and ask for an after visit summary that many clinics print out for their patients. When the appointment is done, you should have an idea regarding:
- What is the diagnosis or the problem being addressed?
- What is the diagnostic or treatment plan? – What are my options for treatment and what is the downside if I don’t take action?
- If medication is prescribed, what is it for and exactly how and when to take it? Is there a generic version to take?
- What are the risks and benefits of all treatments or surgical procedures?
- What is my duty/role as a patient before the next visit? (med usage, exercises to do, activity level, etc)
- When do I follow-up and with whom?
- What is the back-up plan if the diagnosis is not established or improvement is not occurring?
- What is the best means to communicate in the interim before a follow-up (phone-call to clinic/nurse/mid-level , MyChart, (emails are not part of the medical record, so most clinics don’t like to use this route)).
Keep in mind that many clinics run as teams now, and the follow may be with a Physician’s Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Physical Therapist, Psychologist, or Nurse in the clinic, not necessarily with the Doc. The treatment plan may also be forwarded to the primary care clinic, and follow up may be there.
Educate Yourself: The time you take to learn about your medical condition and your treatment plan is an investment in your own health. Ask for additional resources to learn more about your health condition from your healthcare providers. The National Institute of Health (NIH.gov) web site has great literature regarding diagnoses and standard treatment protocols, as the studies in the medical literature are chronologically arranged. Also, many professional societies and medical groups, medical schools, etc., have excellent web sites that define protocols for treatment and review diagnosis and symptoms. Other commercial sets, such as WebMD are very good as well.
Preparing ahead of time and being proactive during and after the appointment will go a long way in having a productive medical appointment.