4 Ways To Prepare For A Doctor's Appointment
Posted on: 29 January 2021
If you've scheduled an appointment with a new doctor, it's easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. This is especially true if you'll be seeing a specialist for the first time. However, there are several things that you can do to prepare for your doctor's appointment, including the following:
List Your Current Medications
Before your doctor's appointment, spend some time compiling a comprehensive list of all of your current medications, vitamins, and supplements. You may be visiting several doctors for medical care, and having a central list will help make sure that the new practitioner has access to everything that you're taking. Be sure to note the medication, dosage, and how many times per day you take it, as the doctor will need all of this information.
Provide Medical Records
It will be important to provide your previous medical records, if possible. This allows your new doctor to have access to the medical treatment that you've previously received, such as medications that other doctors have tried, tests that have been run in the past, and surgeries and hospital stays that you've had. These records are extremely useful for informing your future course of treatment, so provide as many of them as you can. If you don't have copies of your records, you should be able to sign consents at the doctor's office so that they can obtain the records.
Know Your Family History
Spend a bit of time researching your family medical history so that you have a solid idea of any chronic or genetic medical conditions that your parents or grandparents were diagnosed with. Your medical providers will want to know this information so that they can use it as they provide you with ongoing medical care.
Be Prepared with Questions
Before your appointment, write down any questions that you have for your new medical provider. You may have questions about specific symptoms, new treatments that are available, medications that you'd like to know more about, or side effects that you're experiencing. However, once you're in the appointment itself, it's easy to forget some of the things that you intended to ask. Writing a list before the appointment will help ensure that you obtain all of the information that you intend to.
Once you've taken these steps, you should feel a bit more ready for your doctor's appointment. You may also want to contact a doctor's office to find out if there are any specific steps that they need you to take before the appointment. However, they'll likely tell you about these over the phone when you schedule.
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