Preparing for an Office Visit     

When it comes to communicating well with your doctor, time is the main barrier. A typical visit lasts 15 to 20 minutes, during which evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, and teaching take place. To make the best use of the minutes you have, present your most pressing problem to the doctor. Avoid bringing a laundry list of other unrelated complaints.

• Write down your most important concerns. Before your visit, review (1) all your symptoms, including when they started; (2) the history of the problem, including whether you've had the problem before; and (3) any treatments you have tried. List these things in order of importance, so you will be sure to get your most pressing concerns answered.

• Bring related records. If you have information about drugs you use, allergies, or other health problems, bring these records along if you are seeing a doctor for the first time. If your appointment is with a doctor you've been with for a while, be sure to let him or her know what over-the-counter remedies you are using and whether you are taking medicine prescribed by another doctor.

• Be brief and clear. As you describe your symptoms to your doctor, avoid vague statements such as "I've been feeling sick lately." Be specific: "I've had a headache and nausea for the past week, and I don't know what's causing it."

• Consider bringing a trusted family member with you to help you remember your questions and any instructions your doctor might give you.

Making the Most of Your Visit

Researchers have interviewed patients after office visits and learned that more than half the doctors' instructions are forgotten within minutes of the visit. It is difficult for you to benefit from the doctor's good advice if you can't remember the details. Here are three ways to increase your recollection of the visit:

• Take notes. Even if you can't write down everything you hear, an outline of the discussion will dramatically increase your memory of the information. Take some time immediately after the visit to fill in other details you remember about the discussion. It may also help to talk your visit over with a friend or family member soon afterward.

• Ask for information that is organized. Studies on communication show that understanding improves when information is well organized. Ask the doctor to put information into categories such as what is wrong, what tests you may need, what treatments are available, and what you must do.

• Ask for explanations. When in doubt about a term your doctor uses, ask. A good way to ensure that you understand is to restate what you believe the doctor has told you. Then if you've misunderstood something, your doctor can explain it again.