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How to prepare for your Doctor's appointment

Make sure you know if your insurance will cover the appointment at that clinic when you make the appointment.

Bring the bottles of ALL your prescriptions and over the counter medications, vitamins and supplements with you or take photos of the bottles a to share with your doctor.

Bring copies of all recent tests or information where results of all recent tests can be obtained. Bring all information your doctor may have asked you to obtain or gather ( i.e daily blood pressures). The more current information you have the better picture your doctor can draw of your situation.

Write down when your condition first started, what makes it worse, what makes it better, how it has changed and how it has been in the last few weeks, if it is not a new condition.

Write down your questions before you see the doctor so you can accurately share them the medical team. Often we kick ourselves when we remember that important question after the doctor has moved on t the next patient. Take a photo of the effected area when the injury first occurred so the medical staff can compare it to it's present condition. Cell phones can be so helpful in documenting the process of a disease or injury.

Bring a companion with to your appointment, especially if you are getting information about treatment or a diagnosis. this way there will be a second set of ears to process and remember the information. Make sure one of you is writing down the information if your clinic does not provide you with a print out. Ask for correct spellings of diagnoses, treatments and medications.

Be on time or be early and bring something to occupy your time in case your doctor has had a setback in their schedule. When you are late you set off a domino effect making the doctor late for his subsequent appointments or they may have to shorten yours. Call if you are running late to see if the doctor can still see you.

Check in with the clinic office the week prior and find out what routine lab tests the doctor may want, where they can be drawn at so he will have access to them. Have them drawn in advance of your appointment so the results can be discussed at that appointment. Blood samples are often held for a few extra days and sometimes additional tests can be run without another blood draw.

Health and Blessings,




Susan Path
Parish Nurse