Make the most out of your doctor's appointment

A few weeks ago, I met an inspiring woman named Julie Palumbo through social media (@juliempalumbo; owner of Best Whole Self) who asked me to be a guest physician speaker on DisruptED TV's show DisruptHealth. During this interview, I shared my tips on how to make the most out of your doctor's appointments.

Check out the video below and scroll down to see my top five tips for being a strong patient advocate!

The following list is a compilation of my experiences both as a patient and a physician.

1. Know your medical history

• Designate a binder, notepad, and/or folder to compile all of your medical care.
• Have a list of your medications (with doses) and allergies (with reactions) available at all times. This could be in your phone or wallet as well as a list on your fridge.
• Some patients put everything on a face sheet including medications, allergies, medical conditions, surgeries (with dates), family history, doctors, etc.

2. Be prepared for your appointment

• Know the reason you are going to the appointment and what you want out of it. Is it a follow-up, a new problem, discussing a treatment plan, or an annual exam?
• Refer to the video to find out what kinds of questions doctors may ask during your visit (look for the acronym OPQRST).
• Write down questions you have for your doctor.
• Make sure you know your insurance benefits and if anything needs prior authorizations (there have been patients unable to get their treatment because of delays in insurance approvals).

3. Bring material for your doctor

• Feel free to bring imaging, records, medications, photos - anything that can help us learn more about you and ensure the proper treatment and care. While we often are cc'd on notes, in a world that is transitioning from hard copy to electronic medical records, not all records are complete.
• Don't forget a notepad and pen to write anything you think you should down!

4. Be open and honest

• The patient-physician relationship is vital to ensuring you are receiving the best healthcare. This means being truthful with your doctor. At the same time, your doctor will be truthful with you and should ensure that you understand her or him. We are taught in medical school the "teach-back" philosophy where we will ask the patient to teach back to us what we explained to them.

5. Know the next steps

• After your appointment, obtain an after-visit summary that reviews everything you discussed.
• Don't forget your scripts - do you need any refills? Are there new prescriptions? What pharmacy will you use?
• Appointments - speaking of scripts, do you have any referrals? Do you need to see a specialist and if so, where and with whom? Make sure your other doctors are included on the cc portion of the notes as well.
• Make a follow up appointment if requested.

I would like to give a special shout out to my fellow intern year residents physicians. They have helped to raise me to be the best doctor I can be, to advocate for my patients, and to never lose my light. I am honored to still be featured on their Internal Medicine Residency home page despite moving on to specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Thank you again Julie Palumbo of Best Whole Self for featuring me on your show <3