Preparing for Doctor’s Visits as a Caregiver
Doctor’s visits are a crucial part of the treatment experience. But without preparation and good communication on both sides, many doctor’s visits turn out to be inefficient and ineffective. In these types of care settings, caregivers play an important role in collecting and sharing information from both the patient and the provider. And their presence is often essential for the wellbeing of the patient. In this post, we’re discussing a few ways caregivers can best prepare for their patient’s doctor’s visits.
Doctor’s appointments occur throughout the treatment journey for a variety of reasons — from monitoring progress and reviewing test results to managing side effects and discussing next steps. Whatever the purpose may be, it’s important for caregivers to not only be present, but to be prepared and engaged throughout the entirety of the visit. Time with doctors is often short and limited. But making good use out of these sessions will help inform you on how to best manage your patient’s treatment the rest of the time.
Here are 5 things to do before your next visit:
01 Compile a list of questions and concerns to discuss with the doctor.
Patient anxiety and fear surrounding the appointment may make it difficult for them to bring up questions and concerns they have, even though doctors are there to address these very topics. Caregivers can improve this flow of information by consulting with the patient and preparing a list of questions beforehand. This also helps combat forgetfulness and makes better use of your time with the doctor.
02 Gather important health information such as current medications, allergies, past medical history, test results, etc.
Sometimes, a patient’s health profile and records are not readily available for the doctor to view — whether it be because of workflow limitations, seeing a new specialist, etc. That’s why it’s beneficial to have this information on hand. Providing context gives the doctor a more comprehensive view of the patient, helping them make better and more individualized treatment decisions going forward.
03 Make a list of symptoms to report, including when they started and how severe they are.
A common problem with symptom-reporting is that patients tend to share how they feel at a given moment, usually at the time of the appointment. But this doesn’t account for all the time they spent at home since their last appointment. Thankfully, there are tools that can help collect data on a patient’s symptoms over time, so that it’s ready to share with their doctor at their next appointment. Check out symptom-tracking apps like Wave Health App to provide more detailed symptom information at your next doctor’s visit.
04 Bring a notepad and pen to take notes during the appointment.
A lot of information may come out of even a short doctor’s visit. To ensure that you capture all of the important learnings and instructions from your appointment, be prepared to take notes, whether on pen and paper or on your smartphone.
05 Be honest and forthcoming about the patient’s health status and specific needs.
When caregivers are honest about how their patient is doing, it actually helps doctors determine how they can best treat the condition while optimizing quality of life. Every patient has different standards and needs. For this reason, no two treatment plans will be the same. Ensure that your patient is getting the best treatment for them by accurately depicting how they’re feeling and what’s important to them — even if it’s difficult to share.
At the end of the day, caregivers have several important responsibilities during medical appointments:
To provide critical information
To understand the care plan
To advocate for and support the patient
To ask questions and seek out information
Having access to a doctor’s expertise and services is an immense opportunity to gain knowledge and ultimately improve the patient experience. These preparation tips are meant to help you combat some of the biggest inefficiencies that occur between doctors and patients — so that you can get the most out of your visits.
