Time to Talk

Make the Most of Your Doctor's Visits

If you have ever walked out of the doctor's office and realized you forgot to reveal key information to your doctor, you're not alone. Many unprepared patients walk in with important health issues and concerns, only to walk out with incomplete diagnoses and accompanying disappointment. By respecting your time and your doctor's, and by treating your appointment like a 10-minute business meeting, you can optimize the time. When it comes to your health care, it's as much about quality time as it is about quantity of time.

"Of course, your relationship with your doctor must be based on trust and a mutual goal of good health," says M.D. Messina, health care advocate and author of Health Care Self-Defense (Health Care Self Defense Enterprise, 2002). "So it's important not to be intimidated. You are in control of your appointment. You have scheduled and are paying for this time to be with your doctor. You are not just a patient. You are the customer. Be responsible. You are not a victim in this encounter. Rather, you are an equal partner. Only you have the information the doctor needs to make sure you don't leave your appointment disappointed."

Knowing how to manage your time with your doctor is the first step to avoid feeling like a victim. This also means managing your medical information and being prepared for your next appointment. Here are some guidelines from Messina's book to get you started:

• Give the doctor written facts, with your most troublesome concerns listed first.
• Have your past medical and drug history in an easy-to-access notebook.
• Record your current symptoms by time, severity and frequency.

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