Making the most out of your doctor's visit

Filed in archive Miscellany on August 30, 2005

Good advice - making a list of questions prior to a doctor's visit. With physician access becoming an increasing problem, making the most out of your doctor's visit is key:

Making a list of questions and checking it twice is the best way to get the most out of a doctor's visit, a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist said.

For some people, a visit to the hospital or physician's office can be a stressful experience -- a long drive may have been involved, almost certainly a long wait, said Andrew Crocker, Extension gerontology health specialist.

"By the time you actually see your health professional, you may forget to tell him or her something important," Crocker said.

He advised patients or their loved ones to take an active role in preparing for health visits in order to take full advantage of time spent with the health professional.

"Most people don't leave their house for the supermarket without a list of things to buy, right?" he said. "A visit to your health professional should be no different."

He suggested purchasing a spiral notebook so that all information is kept in the same place. Make a list of questions, comments and concerns before going to the doctor's office, leaving space to write down any instructions from the health specialist, Crocker said.