Before an Appointment

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Organise your thoughts about your medical history

Take some time to think about and note down anything you feel is relevant to your ailment. An organised description of your medical history will help the person you are seeing make a diagnosis and will help you get the most from your consultation. Be as specific about symptoms and changes since previous visits as you can. Many people will have a number of problems that concern them. If this applies to you, try and present these histories in turn so as not to confuse the person you are speaking to.

If you have been told what your diagnosis is, the Internet can be a useful source of information. Use the search bar at the top of this web page to find more information about your disease or illness.

Prepare the questions you want to be answered

Think about what you want to know and how much detailed information you would like. MyQuestionsMatter has been established to provide you with the questions that will help you remain in control and get the most from your consultation. Write down your most important questions first, so that if you run out of time at the visit, you will at least have covered your main topics.

Be prepared to answer questions at your visit

You will almost certainly be asked some questions during the consultation, although the type of questions will depend on whether the person you are seeing has already diagnosed the problem or not. Questions will typically focus on areas such as signs and symptoms of your ailment, whether it is new or a recurrence of something you have had before and whether it appears to be getting better or worse. If you have prepared for such questions before your consultation this may leave you more time to discuss your concerns.

Take a friend or relative with you

A visit to a doctor or another health care professional can be intimidating and many people find it helpful to take someone with them who is familiar with their condition. If you feel that this would help you, before your visit make sure that you agree how you would like your friend or relative to help. Do you just want your friend to take notes? Do you want your daughter to ask the questions for you because her English is better than yours? Or, would you like someone there just to help reassure you?

Know what medications you are taking

Your medical records will provide details about any tablets you are taking, but it is possible that they are not as up to date as they could be. It is helpful to keep a note of any medication you are taking, including the dosage and the frequency with which you take them. Not only will you find this useful to remember when to take which tablet, but you will also be able to help the person quickly understand what drugs you are on. Some people take tablets that they no longer need and your own record of what you are taking may enable you to stop taking drugs that are no longer necessary.

Remember to request a summary of your visit

Most visits only last a short time, during which a great deal of information can be exchanged. Make sure that your last question is always, “Can you please summarise what we have discussed so I can make sure that I have not missed anything important?”