A Better Doctors Visit

Keith’s 7 tips for a better Doctor’s visits:

1. Introduce yourself to the doctor, shake hands, and make eye contact when they come in the room. Remember, It’s about YOU.

2. Always have a pen and paper with you.  The doctor will see that you’re paying attention to what they say and know that you are taking notes. Besides it's often hard to remember some of the little things.

3. Before your visit, if possible, write down exactly how you're feeling and what the symptoms are.  Write down any questions you have also.  We tend to forget things when we're sitting in the doctor’s office.  After we leave it's no time to say, "I wish I remembered to tell him/her that".

4. Be as specific as possible.  I found out that there can be a huge difference in what patients are able to communicate with their doctors as they go further up the specialty ladder.

5. If you have time before your visit, search the symptoms you're feeling on the Internet.  Some words you discover might more accurately describe your symptoms.

6. For routine visits I bring my old numbers such as total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, ratios, triglycerides, blood pressure, and pulse.  It allows me to write the new numbers side by side so I can see a snapshot of improvement.

7. Always have written down any medications, exact dosages and frequency for all medications and/or vitamins you may be taking. Share this information with your doctor.  This alone could save your life.


Remember, you're in charge of your own medical team:)  Keith