Waiting Rooms HELP!!!!

[KimmyK4]

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Hey Guys. I'm writing an article for my college newspaper on how to maximize a visit to the doctor while helping to cut time spent waiting in a waiting room. I know I am not a doctor yet, and won't be for a longgg time, but I am an EMT, this is a ROUGH very, very ROUGH draft of what I'm looking for so any suggestions- advice, any facts or ideas that can make this better PLEASE comment. It's for a special Health section I'm hoping to put together.

10 Tips to Maximize your Doctors Appointment



Here's how to get the most out of your Doctors Appointment.

1. Call to confirm your appointment before you go. It is also okay to call the morning of to see if the doctor is running late, and see if they would like you to come in later.

2. Be on time. You may be charged a fee for no-showing, or miss your appointment if you are late.

3. Don't schedule a routine check-up on a Monday or Friday. Many emergencies show up those days as the weekend is a scary time for someone who is sick.

4. Make your appointment really early, the earlier the better because there is less patient back-up. It's said you can schedule an appointment for after the doctor's lunch period, but I wouldn't recommend it.

5. Come prepared. Write down what is bothering you on a sheet of paper. Take into consideration:

Signs and Symptoms- What’s going on, what have you noticed that’s different?
Allergies- Make sure your doctor knows what you are allergic to before they prescribe you anything.
Medications- Ask questions such as “Could my new medication be causing this discomfort?”
Past history- Has this ever happened before?
Events- Has anything happened recently that could have brought the pain on- such as stress, a rough workout, a bad dinner?

Also- be sure to tell your doctor
What hurts
Where it hurts
What it feels like
When it started
What makes it feel better (if anything)


6. Have a record of your family medical history.

7. Bring a list of current medications you are on. Ladies- BIRTH CONTROL IS A MEDICATION. I can't count how many Patients I myself have seen that don't think about it as one. They usually forget.

8. Be informed. Do a Google search on whatever you think is bothering you. Then write your questions and bring them with you. This will help in communicating with your doctor.

9. Scared to say something? Bring a trusted friend who isn't. Support can be immensely helpful for some people.

10. DON'T BE AFRAID to share information. Many people literally "Die of Embarrassment", because they are too scared to tell their doctor what is really going on.


These tips can help to effectively help manage both your time and your doctor’s time.


**Go easy on me!! 🙂 **

Thanks for all your help!

 

[epigastric]

Hey Guys. I'm writing an article for my college newspaper on how to maximize a visit to the doctor while helping to cut time spent waiting in a waiting room. I know I am not a doctor yet, and won't be for a longgg time, but I am an EMT, this is a ROUGH very, very ROUGH draft of what I'm looking for so any suggestions- advice, any facts or ideas that can make this better PLEASE comment. It's for a special Health section I'm hoping to put together.

10 Tips to Maximize your Doctors Appointment



Here's how to get the most out of your Doctors Appointment.

1. Call to confirm your appointment before you go. It is also okay to call the morning of to see if the doctor is running late, and see if they would like you to come in later.

2. Be on time. You may be charged a fee for no-showing, or miss your appointment if you are late.

3. Don't schedule a routine check-up on a Monday or Friday. Many emergencies show up those days as the weekend is a scary time for someone who is sick.

4. Make your appointment really early, the earlier the better because there is less patient back-up. It's said you can schedule an appointment for after the doctor's lunch period, but I wouldn't recommend it.

5. Come prepared. Write down what is bothering you on a sheet of paper. Take into consideration:

Signs and Symptoms- What's going on, what have you noticed that's different?
Allergies- Make sure your doctor knows what you are allergic to before they prescribe you anything.
Medications- Ask questions such as "Could my new medication be causing this discomfort?"
Past history- Has this ever happened before?
Events- Has anything happened recently that could have brought the pain on- such as stress, a rough workout, a bad dinner?

Also- be sure to tell your doctor
What hurts
Where it hurts
What it feels like
When it started
What makes it feel better (if anything)


6. Have a record of your family medical history.

7. Bring a list of current medications you are on. Ladies- BIRTH CONTROL IS A MEDICATION. I can't count how many Patients I myself have seen that don't think about it as one. They usually forget.

8. Be informed. Do a Google search on whatever you think is bothering you. Then write your questions and bring them with you. This will help in communicating with your doctor.

9. Scared to say something? Bring a trusted friend who isn't. Support can be immensely helpful for some people.

10. DON'T BE AFRAID to share information. Many people literally "Die of Embarrassment", because they are too scared to tell their doctor what is really going on.


These tips can help to effectively help manage both your time and your doctor's time.


**Go easy on me!! 🙂 **

Thanks for all your help!

Some additional points based on my experience working in hospital clinics (IM and plastics)

1) Early appointments are useless if your doctor does morning rounds, especially surgical. They will almost always (90%ish) show up an hour late, and you will be the sucker sitting in the waiting room without the magazines. I'd book mid-morning or late afternoon, because the doctor will try their hardest to see you before 5pm rolls around.

2) Bring a book. Or a magazine. See #1 for why. That three-years-out-of-date AARP magazine will not keep you occupied.

3) Do not angrily inform the nurses that you are too busy/too important to wait to see the doctor, even if she's two hours behind. In fact, never be rude to the PA or the nurses. They can "forget" to tell the doctor that you're next in line. And will.

4) The doctor needs to know what alternative medicines you're currently taking. Even if it's herbal Viagra. Suck it up.

5) Being informed is good, but being a hypochondriac will mean your doctor won't take you seriously. Do not use those websites that match symptoms to rare diseases (sniffles = lung cancer), print out a list of all those disorders, and expect your doctor to calmly go down the list. Yes, the doctor is there to answer questions. But unless you're paying double, in cash, you're going to be lucky to get 30-45 min with a specialist all to yourself. Be reasonable.

 

[lilnoelle]

How about, if possible, do not bring young children with you to an appointment. I had to do this last year and it was a disaster. The appointment was hurried and I got the impression that the doctor was irritated at me for having them with me. (I had a 3 yr old and a 9 month old at the time.)

 

[Catalystik]

When listing current medications, include over-the-counter products, not just prescriptions, and any herbal products you use. All of these can have side effects and interactions.

 

[KimmyK4]

Any more tips anyone? Anyone?

 

[Nate]

Please do not cross post threads in multiple forums

Feel free to contribute to the open one in pre-osteo

Closing