Go to your appointments organized and well prepared
- If you take many medications and/or supplements, start a document on your computer, and list each of them, the dosage, the condition for which you take it, and any other pertinent information. Keep the list updated, and always take a copy to any medical appointment you have. This helps ensure that your medical records are complete and correct and reduces the amount of time spent reviewing them at your appointment. It's also a good idea to keep a copy of this document with you at all times. That way, if you unexpectedly need emergency care, you'll be able to provide accurate information, regardless of the circumstances. You can find a complete medication management workbook in our article, Migraines and Medications - Talk About Prescriptions Month 2007.
- Print two copies of your documents that you're taking to your appointment. That allows you to give a copy to your doctor and keep a copy in front of you to make notes and ensure that you don't forget anything. Having this printed information will not only help you remember everything, but will help you be more concise when talking to your doctor. When we're concise and can keep the conversation going without many pauses, the appointment takes on a momentum. This can alleviate the possibility of a busy doctor thinking we're through with our discussion.
- Review your documents just before the appointment to make things fresher in your mind.
- If you find asking your doctor questions to be difficult for you, rehearse it with a friend before the appointment.
- Don't hesitate to take someone close to you with you to your appointment. This can serve multiple purposes:
- Much information can be packed into a short appointment. They can help you remember and interpret what was said.
- If this person doesn't understand your condition or isn't as supportive as you need them to be, this is a good opportunity for them to learn.
- When we're ill, our emotions can lead us to misinterpret comments or read things into them. Having another person there is a good way to objectively review the appointment afterward.
- Sometimes it can be good to have another concerned person there to express their thoughts and concerns to your doctor. It often reinforces what you've said.
- If changes are made in your treatment regimen, remember to ask your doctor when you should experience results.
- If you don't already know, ask your doctor how to get answers to questions that need answered between appointments.
