Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print. Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum. ----------- PUBLICATION GUIDELINES - You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety. - Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity. - Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only. - If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links. - Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to [email protected] - Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article. ----------- Article Title: Avoid Problems at Your Next Medical Appointment Author: Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson Category: Word Count: 483 Keywords: medical appointment, health care, talking to your doctor, medical care Author's Email Address: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com ------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Do you ever feel rushed or unimportant when you visit your physician or health care specialist? Studies suggest that individuals receive fifteen to twenty minutes on average with their doctors due to insurance regulations. Here are ten tips to help you make good use of your fifteen minutes of health care. 1) Create a medication list to take with you to all medical appointments. This should include medications you have taken in the past and why you are no longer taking them, current medications and any supplements or over the counter medications you are taking. You would be surprised to lean that many medications interact with supplements or over the counter medications. 2) Make a written list of side effects you feel may occur as a result of taking your medications. Watch the reaction of your body after taking medications as this will help you convey any unordinary feelings, such as nausea, loss of appetite, increase in appetite, fatigue or dizziness to your prescribing doctor. 3) Request and maintain copies of your medical records and tests so that you can bring current information with you to specialists and any other related health care providers. 4) Make a list of physical or mental changes that you feel or see are happening to you as the result of taking a medication. Describe the symptoms and any concerns that you might have. 5) Confide in your doctor about any stress or embarrassing health concerns that you are experiencing in your life. This includes feelings of depression and disclosing any illicit drug use. 6) Make available to your doctor contact information for any specialists or health care providers that you have visited and or are currently visiting to allow them to consult with each other. 7) Track timing of your next routine tests and or due dates for vaccinations. Examples are blood tests, tetanus shot, pneumonia flu shot etc.If you do not have a record of this information, ask your physician. Make sure that you receive information on what is next; this includes in your health care program and when your doctor is expecting to see you again. If you have significant health concerns ask for a prognosis as your physician is not likely to discuss this with you unless you ask. 8) Repeat the information and recommendations that your doctor has given to you. Make sure that what you heard is what your doctor said or recommended. 9) Rank questions by importance. Make sure that you review all of your information prior to the appointment and make a list of questions. This will help in identifying what is most important for you to discuss. 10) If you are unable to discuss everything with your doctor make another appointment. The more organized you can be for your next medical appointment, the better outcome will result from your appointment. Pamela D. Wilson, The Care Navigator, provides consulting, planning and education for families and individuals experiencing transitions in health care. Visit http://www.thecarenavigator.com for information or call 303-810-1816. Receive free education and tips at http://www.thecarenavigatorblog.com ------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
