When we get sick or injured, it’s normally a good idea for us to visit a medial professional for diagnosis and treatment. However, many people can often feel like they don’t get the most out of their doctor’s appointment because they feel rushed, or that they can’t be totally honest with their medical professional.
For a lot of people, it’s easier to simply to do a video appointment with a doctor online via services like Instant Consult. This way they don’t need to even leave their bed to get an accurate diagnosis and prescription if necessary.
If you feel like you aren’t getting the most out of your doctor visits, check out the following tips.
Keep a diary of your symptoms
While you might not think that you really need to write down that you have a runny nose and a sore throat, it never hurts to be specific. Being able to tell the doctor at what time exactly the symptoms began, how they were affected by different stimuli and how they developed isn’t going to hinder their diagnosis and can give them clearer picture of how to treat you.
Get to the most important things first
When you enter the doctor’s actual office and sit down, you normally have less than 30 seconds to explain everything before the doctor interrupts. This is because most doctors are extremely busy and need to fit in dozens of patients in a single day – so they want to get to the point of your visit as quickly as possible.
Because of the limited time you have with the doctor, it may be impossible to address every concern then and there. Therefore, you should be clear about the most important issues fist before you get the “doorknob” issues that occur to you as you’re leaving the room.
Be honest
Doctors are sworn to keep your information private and not to tell anyone else things you don’t want revealed. While you might be embarrassed to reveal intimate details, you should remember that you are only telling you doctor in a professional context so that they can best help you.
If you keep things hidden, downplay or exaggerate symptoms then the doctor won’t get a clear picture of what’s wrong with you. Being honest and open at your doctor’s appointments is essential to getting the most out of them.
Bring someone with you
If you find doctors appointments confusing and hard to keep track of, bringing along a friend or family member can be beneficial. They can help remind you of questions you wanted to ask, describe some of your symptoms and make sure that you remember all the important information you are given.
Hopefully this guide will help you to have better quality doctor’s visits in the future.