How to get the most out of doctor visits

We all have frustrations with doctor visits from time to time. Very often, the visit feels short and rushed while the bill for the visit feels large and exorbitant.

Visiting a doctor is a two-way street and both sides bear some responsibility. Doing your part can make a big difference. So, let’s talk about some ways to flip the script so that you are getting your money’s worth from your doctor visits.

Get organized
Create a three-ring binder with tabs to organize your medical information. This keeps you organized and can be extremely helpful for any emergencies.

While you may want to take this binder to appointments, this is not something you want to present to your doctor. It is rather a way to stay on top of your own health. Remember: Health care today often involves changing primary physicians often and using lots of referrals. As you know, information is not shared between these doctors very often. Keeping up with your health is up to you.

Your binder should include the following tabs:
1. Your personal health history of any prior conditions, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
2. List of medications and supplements you use.
3. Your doctors and their information.
4. Labs and imaging that have been done in the last year and any unusual labs from your past.
5. Care plans from your provider(s).
6. Your concerns, questions you do not want to forget to ask, and paper to write the answers down.

Make sure you know your weight before going to the doctor. If you are taking a child to the doctor, this is especially important. The weight listed in your chart is used for any calculations for medications, prescriptions, and supplements. If incorrect, you may have unnecessary side effects or you may end up with too low of a dose to be effective.

Be conscious about recording your care plans in your binder. The instructions matter. Take prescriptions and supplements as specified (with/without food, at certain times of day, etc.). If this level of instruction is not provided, ask.

Do your part
A doctor/patient relationship requires both sides to meet half-way. Be open and honest with your doctor about what you are able to do and even what you are not willing to do. This allows both sides to manage expectations and work together to figure out solutions.

At the end of your appointment, make sure you know what the next steps are, and make sure you fully understand the instructions. Ask your questions, and ask if there are ways you can further educate yourself.

Imagine you are a teacher and your students never care enough to do their homework. That is often how doctors feel about patients. It is discouraging when patients do not do their part to help themselves.

Be focused
There are a lot of topics to cover in an appointment including diet changes, medicine reactions, lab reviews, etc. Do your part to help the appointment stay on track and on topic. Focus on the health concern for which you made the appointment and keep your questions and answers on topic.

Health is complicated. Work together with the health professionals in your life and in the long run, you should be more satisfied with your visits.

If you have thoughts or additions to this list, please feel free to let me know at nd@caringsunshine.com.

Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash