You check your calendar and see you have a visit with your primary care physician coming soon. Whether you see your primary care physician frequently or you haven't seen your PCP in a couple of years, taking some time to prepare for the appointment can help you make the most of your time with your doctor.
Here is advice on what you can do in the days before your doctor's appointment, the day of your appointment and during your visit to help.
Preparing For an Appointment with Your Primary Care Physician
A few days before your appointment, start thinking about your concerns and jotting them down in priority order. You can write your questions on a notepad or keep them handy on your smart phone. I recommend putting roughly three to five concerns on your list. That will help you and your doctor zero in on what is most important to you.
Also, think about your top three health goals. Examples might be losing weight, controlling diabetes, lowering your blood pressure, or addressing anxiety. With your goals at the forefront, your doctor can help you achieve them.
Know your medications. Bring to your appointment a list of the prescription drugs and supplements you are taking, including the frequency and dosage. Sometimes, patients tell me they are taking a green pill to lower their blood pressure, but they don't know the name of the medication. Knowing the exact name of the drug helps us ensure there are no negative drug interactions.
If you don't have an advanced directive, consider creating one and bringing it to your doctor's appointment. An advanced directive is a form that outlines your healthcare preferences if you are unable to speak for yourself. Even people who are young and healthy should have their completed advanced directive form in their medical record.
Make sure you know the date, time and location of the appointment. If you are a Kaiser Permanente member, you can find that information by logging into kp.org or calling the appointment line at 1-800-777-7904.
What You Should Do the Day of Your Doctor Appointment
Try to avoid eating a heavy meal the day before your doctor appointment, especially a meal with a lot of salt. Heavy, salty meals can add pounds to your weight and elevate your blood pressure. Staying hydrated, however, which is important for your circulation and kidneys, can help you avoid a fast heart rate and enable you to have your blood drawn readily at the lab, and do a urine test if deemed necessary by your doctor.
As you get dressed to head to the doctor's office, consider wearing comfortable clothes you can easily take off and on for the heart and lung exams. Consider a shirt where you can easily roll up your sleeve for a blood pressure check. Also consider wearing shoes you can easily slide on and off as you step on the scale.
Try to bring with you:
- Your list of questions, health goals, medications list with dosages and advanced directive
- A pen and notepad, or an electronic device where you can take notes
- Your insurance card and your personal identification, such as a driver's license
- Any information from recent hospitalizations
- A record of any immunizations you received outside of your health system
- A list of prior medical conditions and surgeries and family history of medical problems
- Study or lab results from outside of your health system, including mammogram results and colonoscopy findings.
What to Discuss During Your Visit with Your Primary Care Physician
It's very important for patients to keep their doctors up to date on their health and habits so we can provide the best possible care and most appropriate treatment plans.
When you meet with your doctor, pull out that list of medications and review it with your physician. If you have any allergies – to drugs, foods or anything else – let your doctor know.
If you are at your appointment for a routine check-up and have no health concerns, great! But if anything at all is worrying you, painful or just doesn't feel right, tell your doctor. That's why we are here. Many times, patients are embarrassed to discuss certain health problems, particularly if they affect their mental health, sexual health or have to do with bowel habits. Rest assured, doctors have seen it all and are truly eager to help.
I encourage patients to be up front when discussing their mental health and any recent stressors that may be affecting their lives, such as a recent job loss, death of a loved one, change in marital status, or scary diagnosis. The mind and body are strongly connected, and anything troubling in a patient's personal and emotional life can cause health problems.
It's also vital to discuss your eating and exercise habits with your doctor. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Do you eat a lot of fatty, processed or prepared and packaged foods?
If you are a veteran or lived on a military base, tell your doctor. Many illnesses can be linked to time in service; when your doctor knows your background, your doctor will be better able to diagnose and treat your symptoms.
Your appointment with your primary care physician is also a good time to discuss what tests and screenings you may need. For example, colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years for people ages 45 and older. Women at average risk of breast cancer should start discussing mammograms with their doctor at age 40.
Your doctor can also ensure your vaccinations—such as vaccinations for tetanus, HPV, pneumonia, Covid-19, flu and shingles—are up to date, or help you get caught up if needed.
Discussing a Diagnosis with Your Primary Care Physician
Your primary care physician can help you understand any diagnoses. Here are some questions you may consider asking as you discuss your treatment plan:
- What is my main health problem, and how do I address it?
- What is my prognosis?
- Why are you prescribing this medication? What is the dosage? What are the side effects?
- How long should I expect to wait before seeing results when starting a new medication? This is an important question because some medications take several weeks before they start working.
- What are the risks and benefits of this treatment approach?
- Would you recommend this treatment to a family member? This question helps build trust and gives you as a patient confidence that the treatment plan is a good one.
- Are there any red flags or symptoms that should alert me that I should get in touch with you?
- Should I change my diet, and how? Should I work with a nutritionist?
Talk to your doctor about timelines. The question "How long do I give it to improve?" is a good one to ask. If your doctor says, for example, to expect the problem to improve in a week, then you will know to give it that long before reaching out about next steps.
I also encourage patients to ask their doctors to help them explain their test results. Many test results contain a great deal of medical jargon that may be challenging to understand. We can help simplify.
Before you head out, be sure to understand next steps. Schedule your next appointment and discuss whether you should see any specialists in the meantime. Ask your doctor the best way to connect if you have questions or concerns before your next appointment.
Your relationship with your primary care physician should be a good one, built on trust, honesty and open communication. Being open with your doctor will help you ensure your health is on track and is a key part of getting any health concerns resolved, so you can be your healthiest self.