Medical Appointments

Going to an annual physical or going to an ongoing care appointment, most of us have walked out with unanswered questions. Whether your questions did not get answered because the answer was unclear to you, you were too embarrassed to ask the question or you simply forget to ask a question the list below will help you get your answers that could be critical to your health.

Questions to Ask When Scheduling Your Appointment

• Are you still accepting my current insurance?
• Do you have the medical records from other providers?
• What are your check-in procedures?
• How far ahead of my appointment time do I need to arrive?
• Do I need to confirm my appointment prior to my appointment day?
• If I need to cancel or reschedule, how many days ahead of my appointment do I need to let you know to avoid a cancellation charge?
• Do I need to bring any additional paperwork?

Things to Do Before Your Appointment

• Verified Doctor Received Previous Medical Records
• Verify Medical Ride is Scheduled for Correct Day and Time

Things to Bring to Your Appointment

• List of your Current Prescriptions. For your convenience, the Center for Disease Control has created a personal medicines list template.
• List of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbal Remedies
• Food Log
• Blood Pressure Log
• List of Questions and Concerns, including questions about upcoming tests or procedures
• List of Contact Information for Specialists and Primary Care Provider
• Current Insurance Card
• Photo ID
• AARP Card or Other Discount Card

Questions to Ask During Your Doctor Appointment

• If I was your family member or loved one what would you advise?
• Here is the current list of medicines, supplements and herbs I am taking do any of these have adverse reactions with each other or the medicine you are prescribing?
• Should I be concerned about my lifestyle (weight, eating, sleep, drinking, drug use, other addictions)?
• Could I benefit from Homeopathic options such as acupuncture, massage, or chiropractor?
• What should I know about side effects or reactions about the new medicine you are prescribing?
• Do I need additional testing and what symptoms should I watch for based on my family history?
• Do I need additional testing and is there special preparation for the test?
• What is normal on the test results?
• How will I get the results of my test?
• Do I need to follow up with a specialist and does your office help coordinate?
• Do We have to address these problems now or can we follow up at a later appointment?
• When should my next appointment with you be?
• If I have follow-up questions, how should I follow up with you?

Things to Do After Your Doctor Appointment

• Call or email your doctor follow up questions.
• Fill prescriptions or verify electronic subscription was received by mail service.
• Discard old prescriptions
• Update prescription list in case of emergency
• Set alarms or set up reminders for new lifestyle adjustments
• Update emergency contact information and medic alert systems
• Update logs for new items or symptoms to track for your next appointment
• Set reminders to follow-up on test results
• Schedule follow-up appointments
• Compare your explanation of benefits to your bill from the doctor

If you have a specific prognosis or illness, read Cleveland Clinic’s article, Questions to Ask Your Doctor, click here.