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Talking with Your Doctor
Posted: Nov. 1, 2007
When you visit the doctor’s office, bring your insurance cards, names and phone numbers of your other doctors, and the phone number of the pharmacy you use. Also, bring your medical records if your doctor does not have them.
Be open and honest when talking to your health care providers. It will help them to better understand your medical conditions and provide the best treatment choices for you.
Asking questions is key to good communication with your doctor. If you don't ask questions, your doctor may think you do not need or want more information. For example, ask questions when you do not know the meaning or spelling of a word, and ask questions when instructions are not clear.
Talking about your health means sharing information about how you feel. Sometimes it can be hard to remember everything that is bothering you during your doctor visit. Making a list of your symptoms before your visit can help.
Medications
Your doctor needs to know about all the medications you take. The doctor needs to know everything you take because sometimes medicines cause problems when taken together. Also, sometimes a medicine you take for one health problem, like a headache, can cause another health problem to get worse.
Medications include prescription drugs, over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs, vitamins, herbal remedies or supplements, laxatives and eye drops.
If you make a list of the medications you take, do not forget to write down how much you take and how often you take it. Write down any medication allergies you have and any bad side effects you have had with the medicines you take. Make sure to tell the doctor if a dose has changed or if you are taking a new medicine since your last visit.
Additional information for your doctor
Be sure to let your doctor know if you use any assistive devices to help you in your daily activities. Assistive devices are those that help you see, hear, stand, reach, balance, grasp items, go up or down stairs, and move around.
Also, tell your doctor if you had to go to the emergency room, stay in the hospital or see a different doctor, such as a specialist, since your last visit.
Taking notes during your doctor visit can help you remember what you and your doctor talked about. Or you can ask your doctor to write important points down for you.
After you get home, if you are not sure what your doctor said to do, call his or her office. A nurse or other staff member can check with your doctor and call you back.
Source: National Institutes of Health
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