Meeting with Your Health Care Provider -During and After the Visit

Meeting with Your Health Care Provider – During and After the Visit

In the previous blog post, Meeting with Your Health Care Provider – How to Prepare, (click here to access that post). I shared many tips on how to arrive at the appointment as prepared and organized as possible. Having a basic plan can help make the most of your appointment whether you are starting with a new health care provider or continuing with one you've seen for years. This is extremely important, not only for yourself, but also for the health care providers you see.  

In this blog post we will look at tips for how to best utilize that information we prepared during the limited amount of time they have to spend with you for the best chance to leave with all the answers you need, a proper assessment and a treatment plan, as well as what to do after the appointment.

During the Visit

•  Medical history – don’t forget to have this with you so you can refer to it as needed. I bring a copy for them. That way if the health care provider chooses to review it they can. Many have asked if they could keep it for my medical record (this was discussed in the previous blog post, click here to access it).

•  Arrive 15 minutes early – this allows for you to complete any paper work required.

•  Fill out any forms completely and legibly – be honest with all questions asked and refer to the medical history you have for any information requested.

• Bring something to keep you occupied while waiting - sometimes there are unavoidable delays.  

 

• Be respectful - staying focused with your questions and concerns shows respect of the health care providers’ time during the appointment. Refer to your list of issues, symptoms and questions you wrote down ahead of time in your notebook so you don’t forget anything. 

• Function - Share how your problems are affecting your everyday life, what you’re not able to do during the day because of the issue you’re dealing with (sleeping, bathing, dressing, walking, standing, sitting, cooking, getting in and out of bed, off and on the toilet, to the toilet, etc).

• Take Notes - Write down in your notebook things discussed by your provider that you don’t want to forget. Remember it is okay to ask for clarification if you do not understand what a prescription is for, why a test is being ordered or any other treatment that is needed.

• Ask for clarification - Remember it is okay to ask for clarification if you do not understand what a prescription is for, why a test is being ordered or any other treatment that is needed.

•  Be honest - with ALL the information you provide. Even with the embarrassing questions they ask! It is tempting to say things like you are, “pooping just fine!” because it’s too personal to answer that you’re constipated or have the “D” word. Or you tell them what you think they want to hear about your drinking, smoking, exercising, sex life, etc. However, how can they properly diagnose you or recommend the best treatment if don’t share what is really going on? (Pssst…By the way, we all poop and pee! And if we are having issues with pooping, we can become impacted and people do die from that!)

• Ask for a referral - many chronic pain patients need to be seen by other specialists, ask if he feels you need a referral if not offering one or if you think he isn’t helping you as you’d like.

• Discussing a referral - if you have a particular specialist you would like to see, ask if he/she feels that particular specialist is appropriate for your situation. This will save a lot of time and money if you by chance go to the wrong type of specialist.

• Follow-up appointment – if a follow-up appointment is not mentioned or is not scheduled, be sure to ask if you need to have a follow-up visit.

• Questions - ask who you can call if you have any questions after the appointment. Many physician offices now have services called a Patient Portal that is available to patients. You can access a Patient Portal from any device with Internet capability to view your personal health information, communicate with your providers, request medication refills, and view lab results, as well as many other services.

After the Visit

If you were given a referral make sure to:

•  Verify Your Insurance and Referral Information - contact your insurance company for referral requirements. Check that the physician you have been referred to is a preferred provider and that your visit will be covered. Check their ratings to be sure you want to see them. See this blog article, Tips for Finding a Physician and Other Health Care Provider, to find information and links on how to find information and ratings.

•   Make an Appointment with the Specialist - once your health plan has approved the referral, you may call and make your appointment with the specialist. In some cases, the referring doctor may book the first appointment for you.

 

• Verify Medical Records Sent – you will want to call and make sure that any relevant medical records have been sent to the specialist prior to your appointment.

•  Patience - Remember, it can often take time to resolve an issue, so be patient! It may take several trials of different medications or treatments’, testing of various kinds and several visits with a variety of specialists to find out what is going on and get a plan of care. Often people will get frustrated and go see another provider when they have been trialing various treatments and nothing has been working.

•  Switching Providers - Don’t be afraid to switch health care providers if you find that you are not compatible or are not getting the results you want with your concerns. However, before switching, consider the following:

o   Don’t up and leave if the health care provider is not able to help you on the first or second try. (Unless of course there are extenuating circumstances).

o   Discuss your concerns with the health care provider before leaving to be sure there is no miscommunication. It may save frustration, time and money.

o   It requires being assertive and explaining specifically what your concerns are.

o    Make a list of these concerns before you go into see your physician so you’re able to completely discuss them and ask what specifically they can do to help you.

o    However, if you feel it is not a good fit for whatever reasons, know it is okay to find someone who is able to address your issues and do something proactive.

 Don’t settle for being told that there’s nothing wrong with you due to they aren’t able to find anything with blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, or other tests. Get another opinion! Sometimes tests are not read properly, or some other error may have occurred. 

NEVER GIVE UP!

·         Hopefully, these suggestions will give you enough information to have a successful visit with your health care provider which can lead to obtaining the best plan of care possible.

• Sadly, it often takes seeing a few health care providers to find one that is a good fit. If things don’t work out with a health care provider, please don’t make the mistake many people do, don’t go home and give up! I have come across too many suffering over the years that do this! Your health and happiness is too important for that!

Keep seeking another health care provider until you have answers and results you deserve! There are many great physicians out there; sometimes it takes a few trials to find one. Click here to see the blog post regarding Tips for Finding a Physician and other Health Care Provider.

NEVER GIVE UP!

YOU ARE WORTH IT!