Get the Most From Your Doctor Visits

Your doctor is not the only one who must come prepared for your visits. Make sure you take proactive steps so that you too are prepared and can help your doctor give you or your child the best care possible. Here are a few tips to help you do exactly that.

Information: It's important to give and receive

Just like any other meeting, this is an exchange of information. Some of the information must come from you. Some must come from your doctor. Therefore, make sure to bring a pen and paper to note what your doctor says. Also bring along any pertinent health-related information, including:

• Family medical history
• Known allergies
• Any symptoms (new, ongoing, timing of them)
• Recent illnesses
• Patterns of illness (i.e., developing a cold every 3 weeks)
• Miscellaneous facts that could help with a diagnosis (such as recent travel, “bugs” going around your family or your child’s school)

Set goals

Before you go, make sure you know what you’d like to get out of the visit. Many patients walk into the doctor’s office and just let the examination be the goal of the visit. That doesn’t have to be the case. If you’d like a specific symptom relieved or if a medication that you or your child is taking is not working well with your lifestyle, this is the time to discuss it.

Let your doctor make the diagnosis

Don’t spend time explaining to the doctor why you think you or your child has this allergy or that illness. Instead, give the doctor all the information you have so the doctor can make a proper diagnosis. Sure, the first thing the doctor will probably say is, “So tell me what’s wrong,” or even, “What can I help you with today?” Your best response focuses on symptoms, for example, “My nose is running and my ears are hurting” instead of, “I have a sinus infection and ear infection.”