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your care
I
f you are planning to see your
Primary Care Provider (PCP),
the time you will have with him
or her may be short. It is important
to be prepared so you can make
the most of the time with your PCP.
Here are some tips that may help:
1.
Bring your Alliance ID card and
any other health insurance cards
you may have (Medicare, Blue
Cross, HealthNet, etc.).
2.
Bring your health care records.
If you have any health care records,
bring them if the appointment is
with a new PCP. If you don’t have
them, this is a good time to start
a file. Remember, your health care
records belong to you, and you have
a right to them. You may request
them from any doctor or hospital
that has treated you in the past.
3.
Make a list of the things you
want to talk to your PCP about.
The actual face-to-face time with
the PCP is short, and some people
forget to mention important
information. It is a good idea to
bring a list of the things you would
like to discuss with your PCP. It is
possible that there will not be time
to discuss all of your concerns in
one appointment. Make sure the
most important issues are near
the top of the list, while the less
important ones are closer to the
bottom.
Even if you feel nervous or
embarrassed, don’t wait until the
end of the visit to mention the
main reason you came to see your
PCP. Your PCP has probably heard
it before, and by law he or she will
keep your information private.
4.
Be prepared to share with your
PCP how your health is doing.
■
■
Tell your PCP what your
symptoms are and when they
started.
■
■
Share with your PCP things that
you noticed that seem to make the
symptoms better or worse.
■
■
Tell your PCP the medications—
either prescription or over-the-
counter—that you are already
taking.
Some example questions to
ask your PCP:
■
■
How soon will I start to feel
better?
■
■
What can I do to keep this from
coming back?
■
■
Is it OK to go to work or school?
5.
Think about bringing a friend
or family member.
This is your
call, but if you are nervous about
the diagnosis or if you are going to
be discussing treatment options,
it may be helpful to have someone
you trust in the room. They may
remind you to ask questions, and
this way you won’t miss something
important.
6.
Don’t leave until you understand
what your PCP has said.
Ask your
PCP to go over a list of things
that you talked about during the
appointment.
■
■
If you need to get any lab work
done, ask by whom and when.
■
■
For your medications, ask your
PCP how much to take, how
often and how long to take it
for. Ask your PCP about any side
effects, complications or special
directions, such as if medications
should be taken with food or
without food.
■
■
Ask your PCP to share any other
ways to make you feel better faster.
■
■
Ask your PCP what activities you
can do, which ones you should stop
and for how long.
■
■
Ask your PCP what might have
caused the problem and what you
might be able to do to prevent it
from coming back.
How to prepare for your
medical appointment
5
living
healthy