Five Things You Need To Get Ready for your next Doctor’s Appointment

Here is the problem for this episode.  Many people are not prepared for their doctor appointments.

Think about it for a second. Let’s say your elbow hurts and you want to have it looked at. You call the doctor, maybe your primary care physician but probably your othopedic surgeon to take a look at it. You make an appt for Wednesday at 1015 in the morning.

Now what? How do you prepare for that appt? 

Today I want to give you the first few top priority things you need to do before, during, and maybe even after your appointment to make sure you get the most of any doctor’s appointment.

The idea for this episode comes from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes of Health website where you can find worksheets to help you prepare for your doctor’s appointments.  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/talking-with-doctor-worksheets

This short list is what is known as a checklist.

What is a checklist? A checklist is a list of actions to be performed in any given setting or activity with the goal being to ensure that no step or thing will be forgotten.

Hospitals, emergency rooms and your doctors all use checklists. You should too.

Here are Five things you can do to prepare for your doctor’s appointment.

1. Make a list of what you want to talk about and prioritize that list. Bring that list with you to the appointment and show the physician.
2. Know what medications and supplements your take and what allergies you have. Keep an accurate list with you at all times.
3. You may need help. That's OK. Prepare ahead of time to have the resources you need to help you navigate the appointment and remember what was done.
4. Make sure you can see and hear during the appointment. Bring your reading glasses. Wear your hearing aids.
5. Stay focused on why you are there.

Clinic visits are impossibly short and there is so much to cover that’s it’s very difficult to get it all done. You don’t really have that much time. Your doctor doesn’t have that much time. Make the most of it. Use a checklist. Start doing these five things before your next doctors appointment.