by Eric Madrid

Created on: September 08, 2007

Make the most of your Doctor visit

For some, a view of the lunar eclipse may be more frequent than a doctor's visit. For many, a doctor visit can be more frequent than desired. Whatever your situation, it is important to make the most of it.

If it has been a while since you have seen your physician, make a list of the top 3 or 4 things you want to discuss. If you have many issues, schedule several visits. I frequently see patients who have not seen a doctor for years, bring in a long "wish list" complex questions that they have accumulated and expect detailed answers to in a 15-20 minute visit. Several visits will allow you to get more complete and helpful information and will likely lead to better patient satisfaction.

If you are a "regular" at your doctor's office, chances are you have a chronic condition that needs close monitoring. If this is so, make sure you bring all your medication bottles to your visits, including herbs, vitamins and over the counter meds. This will allow your medication list to be updated and checked for dangerous interactions. Don't always assume your doctor knows what your taking since a specialist, like your cardiologist , may have made changes that your primary doctor is not aware of. Best of Luck!

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