How to get the best out of your medical visit !

have seen many patients and doctors who walk out frustrated after a medical visit. To reiterate, the patient and the doctor are both frustrated. The doctor feels that the patient is defocused and a complainer while the patient feels that the doctor did not listen or did not spend enough time with him or her. In the HMO era, doctors are only given 20 minutes to see the patient. These 20 minutes include 7 minutes for reviewing the old chart and writing new notes and prescriptions.

Here are some tips:

1- Bring your medications with you. It is even better if you have a typed list.

2- Focus on one or two problems ONLY.

3- Make sure that you only spend 10 minutes talking. Try to rehearse at home.

4- When you describe your symptoms, mention the following:
a. When did the problem start?
b. What are the relieving factors?.
c. What are the factors that make your problem worse?
d. What medications were helpful?
e. In the case of pain symptoms:
1. Location of the pain
2. Radiation area: where does the pain extend to
f. Associated general symptoms such as fever, malaise, fatigue, and weakness.

5- Ask your doctor what is the likely diagnosis (write it down) and look it up on the internet.

6- Finally, if you feel that you need to address another problem, ask your doctor for a close follow up appointment.