Six Tips for Your Doctor’s Appointment

A doctor’s appointment is your chance to see a professional who is there to help you. They have your best interests at heart. Do you?

Of course you do! But have you ever considered that there might be a better way to get optimal results from your appointments?

Preparing for your next visit

1. Bring a personal health advocate with you to your appointments A personal health advocate is a nice name for someone you trust that comes into the room with you — a friend, neighbor, relative. Their job is to help you and help your doctor by remembering things, taking notes, even verifying sometimes that what you are telling the doctor is factual. They also hold your hand and give you confidence so you are not alone among other things. When you have a doctor with little bedside manner, they will often try harder when someone else is with you. If a personal advocate isn’t available to help you, consider a personal recording device, but be considerate and let the doctor know you are recording your session for your own future reference.
2. Write down the reasons for your visit — all of them — and be sure to address these at the beginning of the appointment. Do not wait until the end of the appointment and suddenly *mention* something new.
3. Hold a conversation with your doctor. Ask the questions you have and make sure you understand the answers. Keep asking questions if needed until you are confident in what the doctor is telling you.