Preparing For Your Doctor’s Appointment

Preparing For Your Doctor’s Appointment
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

What to do
Prepare for your appointment by making a list of:

• Verify that your Personal Medication List (PML) is up to date.
• Write down any symptoms you are experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for the appointment.  If you experience pain, note when it occurs, such as when you wake up or at the end of the day.
• On a separate paper, note any significant stresses or recent life changes.

Write down (you may forget) any essential questions such as:

• What is likely causing my symptoms?
• Are there other possible causes?
• What kinds of tests do I need?
• Is my condition temporary or long-term?
• What is the best treatment?
• What are the alternatives to the primary approach you are suggesting?
• I have other health conditions.  How can I best manage them together?
• Should I see a specialist?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you are prescribing?
• Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can have?  What websites do you recommend?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor
Be ready to answer your doctor's questions so you can spend time on areas you want to focus on.  Some questions your doctor may ask include:

• When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
• Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
• How severe are your symptoms?
• What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
• What, if anything, seems to worsen your symptoms?