Prep for your next doctor visit

Reduce stress and make the best use of time with these tips from patients and doctors.

Doctor* visits can be stressful. It’s hard to remember everything you want to say, hard to articulate symptoms, and you sometimes leave without feeling your concerns were addressed.

(*In this post, every use of ‘doctor’ also means clinician, medical provider, PA, nurse practitioner, and all the other people who might diagnose and treat you.)

Here are some tips for making the most of your doctor visits — things we’ve learned at Pictal Health while working with patients and doctors over the years.

1. Prep your top questions and concerns

One thing doctors find frustrating: when they’re about to leave a patient’s room, and the patient brings up a big, meaty question or concern. There’s even a term for this: the ‘doorknob phenomenon’ (because the doctor’s hand is on the doorknob.)

Help yourself and your doctor by planning ahead:

• Write down your top questions and concerns. Keep it simple if you can, but make sure you cover all your big questions. You can combine questions and concerns into one list, or keep them separate if that makes more sense to you. We recommend using a text editor like the Notes app, Google Drive, etc.

• Order your list(s) — most important at the top. Prioritize and make sure your top issues are addressed.

• Print and bring 2 copies — one for each of you. You could also send these ahead of time in the patient portal; but printing is always helpful too.

• Do this for every visit!

Prepping your list just takes a few minutes. It’s easy, with a big payoff: you can ensure your concerns are addressed, while helping your doctors better manage their time. It can even help them write their note after the visit. They will love it.