3 Simple Tips to Get the Most out of Your Doctor’s Visit: A Physician’s Advice

Most people don’t prepare for their doctor’s appointments — but they should.

Before a dental visit — you brush your teeth. Before a job interview — you prepare for questions. But what about your routine doctor’s appointment — how do you prepare? If you answered, “I don’t,” you might have room for improvement.

Here are three simple yet impactful ways to get the most from your doctor’s visit.

1. Bring in the pill bottles

“It is a little oval white pill…a large round blue pill.”

If you are guilty of describing your medications by their artistic properties rather than by their name, you may wish to reconsider. Approximately 1.3 million people in the United States are brought to the emergency department by adverse drug events — many as a consequence of medications “interacting.”

“But doc, everything I take should be in my chart,” is the refrain I hear in the clinic. I agree — it should — but it isn’t. If you see providers at different hospitals or use more than one pharmacy, there is a chance that these healthcare networks are not “communicating” (sometimes as a consequence of incompatible electronic medical records). The result — Provider A doesn’t know what Provider B is prescribing and vice versa. Drug-drug interactions, particularly for those taking anticoagulants (“blood thinners”), antiepileptics (“seizure medications”), antiarrhythmics (“heart rhythm medications”), and diabetic medications can have dire and even fatal consequences.

If you are a gambling person, you can assume that your pharmacies, healthcare providers, and healthcare networks are seamlessly communicating. My recommendation is to stack the odds in your favor.

Bring in your pill bottles.

2. Bring in a support person…or at least have them available

“My wife could answer your questions better.”

If you can’t describe why you are at the doctor’s office, bring someone in who can. Having a support person — someone who knows you and your symptoms — can improve our diagnostic accuracy and your satisfaction. Who wouldn’t want that?

In my clinic, the support person is often the spouse. They function as secretaries and storytellers, scribbling down the office plan while simultaneously interjecting symptoms that were “left out.” I am grateful for this. But let’s face it — travel for in-person visits is not always practical, especially when two or more people are involved. Fortunately, telemedicine has removed physical barriers, allowing “virtual visits” from practically anywhere. With nearly 85% of physicians utilizing telehealth, chances are this is an option for you and your plus-one.

If you dislike the doctor’s office — I understand. Stay at home. Enjoy a virtual visit from the comfort of your couch. But if your health literacy is iffy, do yourself a favor, save the seat next to you.

Bring in your support person.

3. Bring up the awkward question

“I am not sure it’s important but...”

If you're button-lipped with your doctor — you’re not alone. Patient questions account for only 7% of their dialogue. But if you have a question, please ask, your health may depend on it.

I refer to it as the “doorknob moment.” I reach for the door, we say our goodbyes, and then, with my head turned I hear it — “One more thing doc.” This “one more thing” is often the reason for the visit, the topic that you didn’t want to discuss. In my field, it might be rectal bleeding or a change in bowel habits. I know you don’t want to talk about it — but you need to— delays in care happen if you don’t. In patients diagnosed with colon cancer, interviews have shown that many had preexisting symptoms, and many “normalized” the symptoms rather than seeking help.

Don’t shy away from the taboo — we’ve heard it all before. Bring up the awkward question with your doctor. If you can’t, have your better half do it for you — remind them to bring in your pill bottles while you’re at it.

I’ll see you in you in the office.