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Getting the most out of medical appointments Getting the most out of medical appointments
Two-way communication is an essential part of good health care. During medical appointments, you can expect to be respected and listened to, and to be given adequate and understandable explanations of your condition, its treatment, including any alternative treatments, and the anticipated results of those treatments.
However, getting these things is not always straightforward. You may feel that the doctor does not take in what you say, does not give you enough time to explain things, or does not give you the information you need. Or, you may just not get on with each other. Here are some suggestions that might help you get what you need from medical appointments.
Tell the doctor if you don't understand anything,
and ask them to go over it again until you do.
Before
Make a longer appointment
Doctors are almost always busy, so if the problem you want to discuss is complex or you need to discuss several issues, ask for a longer appointment when making your booking. You and your doctor may then feel less pressured and more able to concentrate on discussing your problems.
Prepare a summary
Write a concise summary of your medical problems, and list in priority order the main issues you want to discuss. Take your list with you and offer it to your doctor at the start of the visit, or perhaps post it to them a week or so beforehand. Keep a copy for yourself, so you can tick off the issues as you go.
Make a list of questions
In the week before your appointment, make a list of your questions as you think of them. Doing so will save you the trouble of forgetting what you wanted to ask during the appointment. Make two copies of the list, so you can give one to the doctor and keep one for yourself.
Leave space below each question, so you or the doctor can write down the answers. Check the list before leaving to make sure that every question has been answered.
During
Be honest and ask questions
When describing your problems, give your doctor a complete picture of your symptoms, how you feel, and the key issues as you see them.
Also, tell the doctor if you don't understand anything, and ask them to repeat the explanation or recommendation until you do understand.
Ask any questions you may have, and continue to ask those questions until you understand the answers. The information or answer may be crucial to your health and well-being.
Take another person
If you don't feel confident about handling any aspect of the appointment, take a relative or friend with you. They can be your second set of ears, your notetaker or your advocate. After any explanations or recommendations, check with them to make sure that they also understand what has been said.
Take notes and request information
If you think that you may have trouble remembering any important details, write them down at the time, or ask your doctor or relative to do so for you.
If you want to learn more, ask the doctor if they have any written information or suggestions of where you might obtain such information. If you have been pre-scribed a new medicine, ask for the medicine's Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet.
After
Make a follow-up appointment
Consider organising a follow-up appointment to ask further questions, discuss outstanding issues, or tell the doctor of your decisions after you've had time to mull over the issues with family and friends.
Get another opinion
If you want to discuss the issues with another health professional, don't hesitate to seek another opinion. The other opinion does not have to come from another doctor or specialist. It may make more sense to talk to someone who looks at the problem from a different perspective, such as a nurse, pharmacist, psychologist or dietitian.
Find another doctor
If you don't feel comfortable with your GP, and don't feel that things will improve soon, consider seeking another one (if this is possible). If you don't feel comfortable with a specialist doctor, tell your GP. They may be able to refer you to another one. Your health and well-being will be best served if you and your doctor trust and respect each other, and work together as a team.
Do some research before making your choice: ask friends and neighbours about their doctors. Sometimes, it helps to check out the waiting rooms, websites and brochures of possible doctors, hospitals or outpatient clinics. Then, make an appointment, preferably when you're feeling well, to check them out.
The information in MedicinesTalk is not medical advice, so seek professional help before making any decisions based on this information.
This article was accurate and up-to-date when it was published. The evidence or context for this article might have changed since then.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
