Speaker: How to make the most of your doctor's visits?
Dr. Duggan: Everybody wins when the patient is organized. So when the patient comes to your office and brings in their list of their blood pressure, readings over the last few weeks or months, the list of their blood sugar readings that can not only help their management but it also helps the physician to deal with them in a very timely manner.
Dr. McPeak: Be prepared, write down a complete list of questions before you arrive, bring a friend or family member because you are certainly not going to remember everything that your doctor tells you, bring an accurate and written list of your prescriptions or alternatively, you can bring your pill bottles along for review. It’s also important to bring a written record of your home blood pressure results as well as a complete written record of your home glucose monitoring results; your physician will be very interested in reviewing that with you.
Jamie: It’s good for your parents or family or friends to be there to hear what they are saying because you don’t always quite hear exactly what the doctors are saying to you. You are maybe taking everything in, panicking a little, wondering what else they are going to say. If I didn’t have my family, I take a tape recorder and I am glad I don’t have to take a tape recorder because it gives me the option to talk things over and make decisions.
Dr. Duggan: Have you seen the eye specialist lately? Have you had proper food care? So there is a fairly good check that can be done between the patient and the physician when they come in and that should be done routinely regardless of what they are coming in for.
Jamie: I actually pride myself with doing the research to understand that so when they are having a conversation even amongst themselves, they know exactly what they are talking about. I like to look at the results, the paper work results of all the tests that I have done whether it’s an MRI CAT scan, blood work, you name it, I know exactly what they are doing.
Dr. Lee: Make sure you tell your doctor if there are any concerns you have regarding your treatment so far and also ask your doctor what the results are of these tests, write them down somewhere so that you can follow them yourself and you can see how well you are doing in whatever areas and what areas you may need to perhaps put a little more effort in to get better control. Remember, taking charge of this scenario yourself is probably the most important way to approach this.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services