Too often, I see patients come for their scheduled office visits and they are not well prepared.
Naturally this slows down the office visit and may result in a lot of call backs from the patient when (s)he remembers what they should have told the doctor at the time.
Sometimes, this may result in the physician requesting a return visit to re-evaluate the patient due to the new information that has been provided over the phone.
The patient gets frustrated feeling that this could be addressed over the phone, or why do they have to pay another co-pay? All round dissatisfaction Here are some useful common sense tips to get the most out of your doctor visits.
The better prepared you are the better the outcome: Tip Number 1: Current Insurance card and Identification card - It is very important to always bring in a most recent copy of your insurance card.
This is because there may have been a change in the subscriber information that your doctor's office requires to bill for your insurance provider.
Or your doctor may need to update their billing system.
Some insurance companies may require that the physician's office have a copy of the insurance card for certain procedures.
If you have a medical card (Medicaid) usually this is updated monthly and so bringing your current medical card to your scheduled visit is always mandatory as it assures your provider that they will get paid for providing needed services and you will not get stuck with the bill.
Personal identification is also very important.
I am often intrigued when I see patients get offended when my front desk staff request for their identification.
In an era of identity theft, think of what the long lasting implications would be if someone used your identity to obtain medical care and had several chronic medical illnesses.
This could affect your ability to get life insurance.
Treat your health insurance card as a credit card and do not get offended when the receptionist asks for ID.
Tip Number 2: List of current medications and supplements This is particularly important if you see several physicians.
Always keep a list of medications and their current dosages.
I recommend if possible, type it out and then laminate it.
If this is not practical to laminate it, simply type it out.
Always list all supplements that you are taking; include any over the counter medications for instance anti-histamines or decongestants.
This is very important as there is always a potential for drug-drug interactions.
Certain over the counter supplements like omega 3 fatty acids or garlic may affect your bleeding time.
If you are scheduled for surgery and your doctor is not aware of this, it could lead to bleeding complications during or after surgery.
Tip Number 3: Always update your personal History Your doctor needs to be aware of any new symptoms that you may be experiencing especially if you have been to another doctor for the symptoms or even the emergency room.
Your primary care physician should be your health advocate and it may be important to complete a workup that may have been started at another facility but was not conclusive.
By updating your provider at every visit this allows them to determine what further workup if any you may need.
Tip Number 4: Update your Family Medical History I cannot over- emphasize how important it is to keep abreast of family medical history.
Being aware of your family medical history will allow your primary care physician to customize certain screening tests specifically for your circumstances.
For instance if there is a family history of diabetes then your physician may decide to start screening earlier or do more detailed tests that may unmask pre-diabetes.
Tip Number 5: Write down any questions before your scheduled visit This sounds like common sense, but a lot of times, I see patients come in for their office visit and they can't remember what it was that they had concerns about.
They end up frustrated.
Making a list of questions that you have for your doctor allows you to get the most out of your visit; looking at your list allows you to prioritize what you feel is important and what you think can wait till another time.
Always write a list.
Tip Number 6: Always get laboratory tests or procedures done in advance Most times tests are ordered in order to assist in making decisions about your medical care.
By doing tests well in advance of your next scheduled visit, it allows time for the test to be completed, transcribed and delivered to your doctor's office.
Too often, I see patients who get a blood test done on the morning of the day that they see me and expect that the test will be available.
This holds up the patient flow as I have to have my assistant call the lab for the test result.
This is also shows a lack of regard for the doctor or their staff's time.
Tip Number 7: Bring a notepad to write down any instructions I like to encourage my patients to be their own healthcare advocates and be empowered in their medical care.
Writing down notes, lets your physician know that you are genuinely interested in your wellbeing and learning how to take care of yourself.
It also guards against forgetting important information.
Reading back information that has been written also enhances retention and understanding of information.
Tip Number 8: Bring along a family member Sometimes it is not uncommon for a person to become very flustered when coming to see the doctor especially when dealing with chronic medical ailments.
This is especially true as we get older.
It is a very good idea to bring along a family member or even a close friend who has your best interests at heart.
I say that emphatically- they must have your best interests and act in line with what your best wishes are.
Keep them informed about all your medications, current medical condition and also other scheduled visits.
The more they are aware of what is going on with you the better an advocate they can be for you Tip Number 9: Keep a list of your immunization record Keep a record of your immunization records, preferably in the same list that you have your current medications.
This is particularly important if you got your immunizations for things such as influenza at the local pharmacy, or if you got a pneumonia shot just before you were discharged from the hospital.
It is important that this be part of your medical record and so be sure to report this to your physician but also keep a record for yourself so that you do not risk being immunized twice for the same disease.
Tip Number 10: Pay your bills and copay at the time of your visit Just as with any other business that you patronize, your doctor's office has overhead that needs to be met.
By paying your bills on time, it conveys the fact that you value your doctor and the service that (s)he provides.
The era of the solo practice is a dying one and practices are becoming mega-practices that are run by large corporations whose sole goal is profit.
If you do not want to lose the personal touch that is provided by being with one physician for years and not being shuffled from one provider to another, do your physician the courtesy of paying your bills on time.
If you are unable to meet your full financial obligation at once, most doctor's offices will work with their patients and work out a payment plan.
I trust that these ten tips will help you navigate the office visit with a little more knowledge so that you get the full benefit and your physician is able to provide the best care possible.