Checklist for a doctor’s consultation - what you should ask during your physician visit

Consultations nowadays are stressful affairs. Gone are the times when we spent minutes chatting up to our family doctor, sharing inconsequential trivialities  about family life before embarking on the details of nature of our visit. This makes it very important to manage your time properly during the 5 minutes (if you are lucky) that you have when interacting with your doctor. 

 When you go to a doctor, make sure that you have reviewed your checklist.

1.      You know the credentials of your doctor and his name.

2.      Write down the history of your illness and a brief summary of your illness before you plan a visit to the doctor, so that you don’t miss anything when you are with the doctor.

3.      Arrange all your previous records date-wise and not according to hospital or doctor.

4.      You must ask the following questions to your doctor:

a.       About your diagnosis

b.      A brief about your investigations

c.       Detailed information about drugs prescribed: Whether to be taken on empty stomach or full stomach; with water or with juice; morning, afternoon or evening dose and strength; if brand substitution is allowed or is a generic version available?

d.      When to come for review or follow up?

e.       If you are late for review by one day, should you continue with the prescribed medicine or stop taking them?

f.        How long will the medicines need to be taken?

g.       What happens if you miss a dose?

h.      What happens if you take double dose by mistake?

5.      You should ask your doctor about your personal life (any restriction in diet, exercise, sexual life, effects of drug on driving, sleeping or wake time etc.)

6.      Also ask your doctor to update your vaccination status so that you don’t miss out on any important vaccination.

7.      Ask your doctor about any prevalent seasonable disease in the society so that necessary precautions can be taken in time.

8.      If you are suffering from a contagious disease, ask your doctor for precautions so that others do not get it.

9.      Ask about SOS signals and when to call a doctor.

10.  Regarding diet, specifically ask about precautions for eating out.

11.  Also ask your doctor to write drugs for emergency drugs in the society, first aid kit etc.

Source