Prep for your next doctor visit
Reduce stress and make the best use of time with these tips from patients and doctors
Doctor* visits can be stressful. It’s hard to remember everything you want to say, hard to articulate symptoms, and you sometimes leave without feeling your concerns were addressed.
(*In this post, every use of ‘doctor’ also means clinician, medical provider, PA, nurse practitioner, and all the other people who might diagnose and treat you.)
Here are some tips for making the most of your doctor visits — things we’ve learned at Pictal Health while working with patients and doctors over the years.
1. Prep your top questions and concerns
One thing doctors find frustrating: when they’re about to leave a patient’s room, and the patient brings up a big, meaty question or concern. There’s even a term for this: the ‘doorknob phenomenon’ (because the doctor’s hand is on the doorknob.)
Help yourself and your doctor by planning ahead:
- Write down your top questions and concerns. Keep it simple if you can, but make sure you cover all your big questions. (Some people suggest covering no more than 3 issues per visit, but if you have 4 or 5, write ’em down. You’ll prioritize them in the next step.) You can combine questions and concerns into one list, or keep them separate if that makes more sense to you. We recommend using a text editor like the Notes app, Google Drive, etc.
- Order your list(s) — most important at the top. Make sure your top issues are addressed.
- Print and bring 2 copies — one for each of you. You could also send these ahead of time in the patient portal; but printing is always helpful too.
- Do this for every visit!
Prepping your list just takes a few minutes. It’s easy, with a big payoff: you can ensure your concerns are addressed, while helping your doctors better manage their time. It can even help them write their note after the visit. They will love it.
2. Show your symptoms
Make a diagram of how your symptoms feel. That way you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything important. This also helps your doctor absorb your symptoms at-a-glance and see patterns that may be hard to spot otherwise.
- Use this free template to make your own symptom map.
You’ll need a Google account, and there are instructions for saving your own personal version to your Google Drive. This is easiest to do on a desktop or laptop computer, though it’s also possible on a tablet. (We hold regular workshops to help people create their own symptom maps — sign up for the Pictal email list to stay notified.) - You could also use this worksheet to draw your symptoms.
- Print 2 copies — one for you and one for your doctor.
- This is also helpful for every visit, especially if your symptoms are complex or have changed since last time.
Bring photos or videos
If you have symptoms that fluctuate, photos or videos can be a powerful tool to show your symptoms. Make sure to have these on hand, ready to show.
Contextualize your symptoms
Paint a picture of how your symptoms affect your life. For example: “I used to lift a 50 lb dog into the back seat of my car. Now I can’t carry a bag of groceries.” (This helpful example was given by Heather Finlay-Morreale, MD, during a recent webinar on ‘making the most of your doctor appointments.’)
3. Bring your health timeline
Especially for the first visit with a new doctor, it’s helpful to have your health history timeline on hand. This includes diagnoses, medications you’re taking or have tried, test results, and more.
Pictal members can use our visual health history timeline software, or you can use this free template to gather the key details of your history.
Once you’ve prepared your history, think about what you’d want to point out to your doctor. Perhaps it’s a medication you already tried (that didn’t help,) a potential clue in your history, or how stress plays into your story.
- Prep your timeline in the Pictal app, or use this free template.
- Think about whether you want to customize the story by hiding or omitting certain events. This is a balance — you want your doctor to have the big picture, but you also may want to keep them focused.
- Prep to share. Share a digital PDF, print and bring 2 copies, share over a zoom call, etc.
What should you present, in what order?
When your doctor enters the room, let them know you’ve prepared a few documents to help them quickly understand what’s going on.
- Hand them a copy of your top questions and concerns. Give them a minute to absorb them.
- Present your symptom diagram, and give them a copy. Help them understand what your symptoms look like (with photos or videos if applicable) and how your symptoms affect your life.
- Then bring out your health history (especially for new doctor visits.) Point out a few key events that you feel are relevant, and let them take in the rest visually. This is a great jumping-off point for your doctor to ask detailed follow-up questions.
None of this needs to be perfect.
The most important thing is to think ahead. Know what you want your doctor to understand. By taking a few minutes to prep, you’ll make better use of the time, do your doctor a favor, and hopefully get yourself closer to the right diagnosis and treatment.
