Preparing for your Doctor’s Visit: A Comprehensive Guide
By adequately preparing for your visit with your doctor or your child’s doctor, you can maximize the effectiveness of your appointment. Being prepared will help your doctor with accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions, maximizing time at your appointment, and enabling you to be an active participate in the decision making of your or your child’s healthcare.
Schedule your appointment
Be clear/specific about the reason or reasons for the visit to ensure adequate time is scheduled
Inquire about any specific instructions or preparations needed for your visit, i.e. fasting
Gather Relevant Information for the Visit
Medical history (list of medical conditions, list of current and past doctors seen, past surgeries, hospitalizations, family medical history)
Current symptoms, frequency and intensity and whether there is something that triggers or relieves the symptoms
List of prescription medications and over the counter medications/supplements, dosages, how/when is taken and prescribing physician. Note all allergies/adverse reactions to medications
Prepare Questions
Diagnosis? Prognosis?
Treatment options and potential side effects?
Long term management plans?
Length of recovery and if there are temporary/permanent physical restrictions and timeframe
Prioritize your questions based on importance or relevance to the visit
Organize Documentation
Bring insurance card, driver’s license/photo ID
Having copies of medical records from specialists, hospital discharge summaries, and recent diagnostic test results from other facilities and imaging reports will often expedite diagnosis and treatment decisions. If you do not have medical records/diagnostic test results for the appointment, make sure you provide you have the specialists/facility name and telephone number for your doctor to obtain records.
Bring a list of prescription medications and over the counter medications/supplements, dosage, how/when they are taken and prescribing physician. Note all allergies/adverse reactions to medications
Bring a notebook or digital device to make notes during the appointment for future reference
Confirm Your Appointment
Verify time, date and location
If you are unable to make the appointment contact the clinic to either re-schedule or cancel out of respect for the doctor and other patients who need appointments
Review any pre-appointment instructions
Plan for Transportation and Arrival at the Clinic
Ensure you have transportation to arrive on time to your appointment
You can Check-in for your appointment from home through the Healow app or you must arrive early to your appointment to check-in and fill out paperwork
If bringing children be prepared with toys, books, snacks, diapers etc. to make the wait more pleasant for you and your child.
Check in for your appointment from the comfort of your own home!
Download the Healow app by clicking the logo above & use the practice code “FFGDCA” to log in.
