Getting the most from your doctor's visit
Sometimes visiting your doctor can feel like making a pit stop at the Daytona 500.
Most primary-care physicians see between 15 and 30 patients a day and spend less than 22 minutes with each patient, according to a recent study by the Physicians Foundation.
But there are things you can do to get the most out of your doctor's visit. Here are a few tips:
Arrive prepared. Whether you are seeing your doctor for a routine physical or because you are sick, there are steps you can take to save time for you and the doctor, said Tom Slokan, D.O., a family physician with Saint Vincent's Union City Family Practice, 130 N. Main St., Union City.
Slokan also recommended jotting down the name of every prescription and over-the-counter medication you currently take, along with the dosage and how often you take it.
If you are seeing your doctor because of illness or injury, write down exactly what ails you. Be specific.
And if you have seen another doctor, or had tests or procedures done, write those down and include the locations and dates, Slokan said.
But don't show up with an armload of information printed off the Internet, said Mark Kauffman, D.O., a family physician and assistant dean of graduate studies at the Lake Erie School of Osteopathic Medicine.
"Coming in with some research is fine, but if you have 20 articles printed out, summarize it for the physician," Kauffman said. "And be careful about where you get your information. Make sure it's from a reputable source."
Be honest. Tell the doctor how you feel and don't sugarcoat anything.
"I find men to be worse than woman about discussing symptoms," Slokan said. "Unless a man has crushing chest pain, they tend to minimize things. If something is really hurting, say it's really hurting."
Honesty is also important when discussing personal behavior than can affect your health, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs.
"A lot of patients aren't honest about that," Slokan said. "I encourage them to be honest because it makes it more likely they can be treated if there's an addiction."
Don't be embarrassed. Patients are reluctant to tell their doctor they have certain problems, such as sexually transmitted diseases, lack of bladder control or erectile dysfunction.
Physicians have heard it all before, and your doctor can't treat something he doesn't know exists, Slokan said.
"And with many of these issues, there are medications to treat them," Slokan said. "You don't even need an invasive procedure."
Listen and take notes. The single biggest problem Kauffman sees is that patients leave the office forgetting or not understanding what the doctor has told them.
"Before you leave, review things with the doctor," Kauffman said. "Have him tell you what he's going to do for you."
Don't be afraid to take along a notebook and pen, and write down what happens during your visit.
"Patients will come in, I'll tell them they have diabetes and high blood pressure, and change their medications," Slokan said. "They'll walk out and go, 'What did he say?' Writing things down can help with that."
DAVID BRUCE can be reached at 870-1736 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNbruce.