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Make the most out of a visit to the doctor
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Going to the doctor is not
something that most people enjoy doing. Many times, because
an individual doesn't feel well, his or her anxiety levels
are high or they may leave unsure about the instructions
that the doctor gave them.
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Individuals can play a role in the quality of their visit
with their healthcare provider, according to Dr. Muhammad
Shahzad, a Danville physician whose specialty is internal
medicine. The following tips can help you to make the
most out of a visit to the doctor:
Know your medical history. When you see your physician,
it's important to provide complete details about the medical
problem that is requiring your visit. You should also
share your past medical history as well as your family's
medical history and information about any allergies you
may have. Your doctor also needs to know about any previous
or recent surgeries or any procedures or surgeries you
have scheduled in the near future.
What to discuss. Share with your physician any
significant changes in your weight, sleep patterns, appetite
or bowel habits. You should also mention if any close
family members have been diagnosed with or recently died
from major diseases. If you are having a follow-up visit
with your doctor, you should discuss results from recent
lab work or other tests and also ask about new treatments,
investigational tools or any new information about your
illness.
What to bring with you. The items you should take
with you are a list of medications you are currently taking,
including the doses and frequency. If a list is not available,
bring the medications with you in a bag. If you are seeing
a doctor for the first time, try to get your records or
important information to the doctor's office prior to
your visit.
Write questions down. Bring a list of the questions
you have for your doctor. Most patients tend to forget
the questions they have once they see the doctor, Dr.
Shahzad said. Bringing a list with you will save subsequent
calls to the doctor's office, and also will save your
time as well as that of the doctor.
Arrive early. This is especially important since
the HIPAA regulations concerning patient privacy went
into effect in April. As a result, most patients have
to fill out extra papers and it takes time for the front
office staff to register the patient, pull their chart
and put all the information into the computer, Dr. Shahzad
said.
Ask for extended time. Under certain circumstances,
many physician offices will allow patients to schedule
an extended visit. These include a first-time visit, a
complete physical or when you need to discuss personal
or family issues that will require more time than what
is allotted for most appointments.
Dr. Shahzad said patients need to take the lead with their
health status and should ask their physician to perform
or order routine blood work, physical examinations, Pap
smears, mammograms and stress tests as necessary. |
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