Things You Should Know Before Your Next Doctor’s Visit: Be Your Own Health Advocate

Does this sound familiar? It’s been five minutes since you’ve left your doctor’s office. You’ve been given a list of diagnoses and treatments of which you understood little and remember even less.  If you’ve felt this way before, you are not alone. The reality is that doctors and patients often speak two completely different languages and my job as a PA is to bridge that gap.  When I first started a blog, I had asked my seventy or so readers to let me know what they would enjoy reading about most. At first it seemed that Healthy Snacks were the clear winner, but as I gained more readers, “Things Your Doctor Forgot to Tell You” became the front-runner. I've spent a few weeks mulling this one over. It’s a tough topic to write about because, as I said a moment ago, you and your doctor speak two different languages. If I were to tell you what he forgot to, it would still leave you right where you started—confused. Instead, I thought I would take a different approach and arm you with things you should know before your next visit to the doctor.


You also can read this article: The Maintenance Guide For The Adult Body

Things You Should Know

1)  What are you eating? Too often doctors neglect to ask you what it is that you’ve been eating. In my field in particular, I find that on a regular basis someone will come in complaining of an ailment we can directly link to their diet—many days and tests later. An open dialogue about what you’ve been eating may seriously expedite your next doctor visit.

2)  What are the side effects of the medication you’ve been prescribed? I’m sure you’ve all seen the drug commercials that end with someone rattling off a long list of side effects of a medication. I’m also sure it’s far less common for you to hear such a list of side effects from your doctor. As with most things in life, it’s important that you should be your own advocate. Always ask your doctor what the most common side effects of the medications being prescribed are, what to do if you get them, the importance of the medication as well as any alternative modes of treatment.  I’m not saying it’s important to avoid medication, but to understand what it is you will be on. 

3)  Come prepared. Too often I find that when a patient comes in for a specific ailment, they are flustered and have a difficult time expressing all their thoughts. I suggest that prior to your visit, you write down a list of what’s bothering you, when it started, what you’ve treated it with thus far, and what makes it better or worse. A simple, organized patient is far easier to diagnose than a flustered one. 

4)  You have the right to retain copies of your medical records. Your medical records may be a well-guarded secret, but the great secret is that they are always available to you. One of the best ways that you can advocate for yourself is to be sure and request copies of each test you have done. Keep a master file of your own and bring a copy of your tests with you to your next doctor’s visit. In this age of specialists, knowing what tests have already been done and what previous doctors have already learned will help us avoid unnecessary testing as well as give us the ability to provide you with better comprehensive care.

5)  Hold the caffeine.  Drinking caffeine within an hour of your doctor’s appointment can elevate your blood pressure and heart rate, providing us with a false positive and possibly an unneeded scare. 

6)  Other important things to note. Simple things like how much sleep you get, how much water you drink, and how much you exercise are incredibly important for us to know. If you aren’t asking these questions, be sure and give us the answers anyway. Your sleep, diet, fitness, and water intake all may affect you in more ways than one can really understand without spending years in school studying it. 

As I always say, know more—feel better. 

Written by - Joanna Esterow

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