How to Get the Most Out of a Doctor Visit

Source: Leeloo Thefirst/Pexels

Scheduling a doctor visit? Maybe you have some persistent symptoms you cannot explain, for example, you suspected COVID but tested negative? Or, maybe the pandemic is receding in your area and you are overdue for a long-delayed checkup? Time to make a plan. Here’s how and why.

What’s Your Plan?

Your plan should include (1) a set of goals for the visit beyond simply getting better; (2) a clear description of what brings you to the doctor visit; (3) your own theory of the problem, and any observations you have that you may think relevant; (4) a means of recording what goes on at the visit; (5) questions, lots of questions; (6) a follow-up component; (7) the proper attitude and approach.

Goals

Doctor visits can serve multiple important goals. Obviously, if you are feeling sick, you have the goal of getting better. But there is much more to gain from visiting your doctor, or there should be.

Presumably, you are not sure whatever is bothering you will resolve on its own, and you hope your doctor can prescribe something to eliminate it. So, treatment is a goal that is instrumental to getting better. An accurate diagnosis, in turn, may identify the appropriate treatment. But the logic there is not as tight as you may think.

For example, after a fairly extensive physical exam, imaging, and even blood tests, I was once given three possible diagnoses for lower back pain: degenerative disc disease, arthritis, or soft tissue damage. I was then told that it didn’t matter which was correct; whatever was causing the pain, the treatment of choice was physical therapy.

Still, you would like to have a diagnosis, since knowing what is going on may have future benefits. In fact, it might prove useful to obtain more than one. Medicine is part art, part science. It is not a bad idea, once given a diagnosis, to ask: “OK, that is the most likely explanation for what’s going on, but if it turns out not to be that, what is your next best explanation?” This may help to prepare you for the eventuality, however unlikely, that the initial diagnosis is wrong, in which case something else may be going on that would respond to a different treatment.

If and when you do obtain a treatment recommendation, you want information on the prescription’s likely efficacy and side effects, and the signs and symptoms of each: Will you know if it is working and, if so, how, and how long might it take? What kinds of effects should you be on the alert for?

You also want to know if there is anything you can do behaviorally to help with the problem: rest, increase hydration, eat certain foods and avoid others, reduce stress, use over-the-counter or home remedies, and so forth.

Problem Description

Take notes on your symptoms. How do they feel, how long ago did they start, when and under what conditions do they occur, and how long do they last? What seems to trigger them or make them worse? What, if anything relieves them? Keep a log with all this and other information that might be relevant.

Source: JESHOOTS/Pexels

Your Theory

What do you think is going on? Were you exposed to someone with a potentially contagious infection? Does it resemble something you or someone you know had before? If so, what was it, and what helped? Don’t give yourself cyberchondria by Googling and Googling until you are terrified of the possible diagnoses, but don’t keep your head in the sand either. Use a few reputable medical websites and see what the most likely conditions are that fit your symptoms and for which you may have well-established risk factors like gender, age, and family history.

Record the Visit

Ask if it is ok to record the visit on your cell phone (there are many free apps for this). Or take notes on your phone or another device. If you do not use a note-taking app, you can simply enter the notes into a text or email message addressed to yourself. Bring a friend or family member who can help you take notes.

Ask Questions

Request a definition for any unfamiliar terms or phrases. Do not hesitate to ask your provider to repeat something you may have missed. Why? When? For how long? You want details. Get the full picture. If you are given a printout with a visit summary, go over it and ask any questions you may have about it before you leave.

Motivation Essential Reads

How to Improve Mental Health by Managing Expectations

Approaching Conflict With Your Romantic Partner

While you are there, your doctor may ask if you are up-to-date on relevant vaccines. Sure, maybe you got your COVID vaccine. But what about the flu, pneumonia, shingles, tetanus, and so forth? And screening procedures: for example, the digital prostate exam for men, and mammography for women. Keep records of vaccines and screens, and if your doctor does not bring these up, you should.

Source: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Follow-Up

Should you come back? When or under what conditions? How can you reach the doctor if things get unexpectedly worse? Is there an online patient portal? Can you call and leave a message instead? If so, how long will it take to hear back, and who will you hear back from?

You may need to see a specialist. You might be surprised at the different levels of medical specialization. For example, when my primary care physician suspected I had a form of leukemia, she recommended I see a hematologist/oncologist, a physician specializing in blood cancers. I eventually learned that some hematologists/oncologists see patients with many different types of blood cancers, whereas others focus on a few, or even just one. You might need the first type of specialist to narrow down the possibilities (e.g., an oncologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, or orthopedic surgeon who deals with a variety of conditions) but you later may benefit from someone with a focus on your specific problem.

Attitude and Approach

Take charge. This is your healthcare visit. You paid or arranged payment. It was not inexpensive. Don’t be either a “bad patient” or a “good patient." Be a smart, take-charge patient.