Preparing for a Medical Appointment
Consultations are typically brief, and the most common source of dissatisfaction is leaving without the main concern having been addressed properly.
Before the appointment
Write down your concerns and rank them. If you have three, say so at the start so the clinician can allocate time rather than discovering the important one at the door.
Note when symptoms started, what makes them better or worse, what you have tried, and how they affect daily life. That history is what leads to a diagnosis.
Bring a list of all medications and supplements, or bring the packets.
Bring relevant readings if you have been monitoring something — blood pressure, blood glucose, peak flow.
The most important sentence
Say the thing you are most worried about, explicitly. Patients frequently raise a minor issue and leave the real concern unspoken, and clinicians cannot address what is not mentioned.
It is entirely reasonable to open with what you are afraid it might be. It frequently changes the direction of the consultation productively.
During
Ask for clarification when you do not understand. Clinical language is habitual rather than deliberate, and asking is expected.
Take notes, or bring someone who can. People recall a small proportion of what is said in a consultation, particularly when anxious.
Ask what the plan is, what should improve and by when, and what would mean coming back sooner.
Confirm your understanding by summarising it back, which catches misunderstandings while they can still be corrected.
Questions worth asking
What do you think is causing this, and what else could it be?
What are the options, including doing nothing for now?
What are the benefits and risks of each?
What happens if it does not improve?
Is there anything I should watch for?
Afterwards
Ask how results will be communicated and by when, and follow up if you do not hear. Results going astray is a recurring safety problem, and chasing is reasonable.
Ask for copies of letters and results, which you are generally entitled to and which are useful if you see another clinician.
If something does not sit right, seeking a second opinion is legitimate and not an insult to the first clinician.
Practical notes
Bring an interpreter or advocate if language or confidence is a barrier, and ask in advance if the service can arrange one.
Longer appointments are frequently available on request for complex problems, and asking when booking is better than running out of time.
This article is general information and not medical advice.
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