Educating your patients and their caregivers about preparing for a doctor’s appointment can benefit all parties involved. Patient preparation for doctor’s appointments improves patient engagement, produces better health outcomes, saves doctors time, keeps appointments on schedule, and improves the revenue cycle.
1. Complete all forms before you arrive. – Call ahead and find out if there are any forms you need to fill out before your appointment. Instead of completing documentation in the waiting room, fill it out at home. This ensures you have plenty of time to finish without delaying your appointment. Plus, at home you will have access to any documents and information the forms ask for, which can be hard to remember on the spot. Also, don’t forget to bring your photo ID and insurance card (especially if you have a new Medicare card).
2. Bring a list of everything you are taking. – This includes any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, supplements, herbal remedies, and vitamins. You may want to bring in the actual bottles or containers as well so that your doctor can quickly find the information, he/she needs.
3. Anticipate questions the doctor is likely to ask. – If you prepare answers ahead of time, you can conduct a more efficient appointment and avoid wasting precious minutes trying to recall when your symptoms started, for example. You can find a list of common questions here.
4. Write down your questions in order of priority. – It can be easy to forget questions if you haven’t created a list. Start by asking the most important questions first, to make sure you get to them. Bring a pen and paper to write down the doctor’s answers.
5. Practice what you want to say. – Taking the time before your doctor’s appointment to state your concerns out loud can help you remember them and stick to the point. It can also make you more comfortable discussing personal and potentially embarrassing matters with the doctor so that you can resist any temptation to stretch or withhold the truth, which will impede your care.
6. Bring someone with you to the appointment. – This is especially useful if you are preparing for a doctor’s appointment that involves a serious, emotionally difficult issue. A friend or relative can remind you of the concerns you want to address, bring up appropriate follow-up questions, and remember the doctor’s answers and instructions, freeing you from these burdens during what can be an emotional time.
Patient preparation for doctor’s appointments is mutually beneficial for both providers and patients. These tips for preparing for a doctor’s appointment can help your patients maximize their limited time with the doctor and ensure they cover everything they want to discuss. Preparing for a doctor’s appointment also keeps patients on schedule, allowing providers to serve more patients and improve the revenue cycle.