Prepare For Your Medical Appointment
You may bring months of concerns when you visit your doctor, but the average doctor visit lists less than 20 minutes. Here are some tips for making the most of your time with your doctor and remembering the doctor’s take-home message when you get home.
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Know your medicationsYour doctor needs to know the medications you are taking. Make a list of them, including nutritional supplements and OTC medications, along with the doses. An alternative is to put all of your medications (in their original bottles with labels attached) in a bag and take that to your appointment.
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Bring a friend or family memberAt the doctor’s office, two heads are often better than one. Particularly if you are seeing a doctor about a new diagnosis, you may be overwhelmed or confused by all of the information you receive. Being emotional can add to the difficulty. That’s how inviting someone to accompany you to your appointment can help. Invite them to ask questions – they may think of some you don’t -- and ask them to take notes for you. Or you can both take notes and compare them to ensure you understood what the doctor said.
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