The Appointment Pre-Check
Longer appointment times with your doctor are almost viewed as a myth. Given the current state of healthcare, most doctors only spend an average of 20 minutes – or in many cases even less – with each patient before moving on to the next patient. Having such an abbreviated time with your doctor can be frustrating, especially if you come in with concerns and leave with more questions than answers.
This is not the case with Direct Care. With smaller patient panels, this removes the shuffling from patient to patient, providing the doctors with the opportunity to spend more time with a patient – listening, answering questions, and coming up with a diagnosis. This not only makes for more pleasant visits, but also it creates a great foundation towards your doctor being a partner in your health.
Nevertheless, with this added time in the Direct Care model, you have to know how to make the most of the time with your doctor and be sure to have all your questions answered. What type of questions should you ask? While it’s all depends on your specific concerns, Time Magazine shared some of top questions you should ask your doctor.
- What are the different treatment options?
- Decisions should be made jointly with your doctor, so be sure you’re aware of all options.
- Do we have to do this now, or can we revisit later?
- Some tests can wait, and added time can also give your doctor more time to diagnose your patterns.
- What outcome should I expect?
- It’s important to know if there will be any changes that may affect your lifestyle.
- What are the side effects?
- Whether you’re undergoing a procedure or taking new medication, it’s important to know about side effects beforehand to determine if you want to alter your treatment
- How will I hear about my results?
- Be sure to get an adequate timeline from your doctor on when to expect your results.
It’s important to take advantage of the longer appointment times with your doctor afforded by Direct Care. Questions for your doctor can help give you more clarity on your health status and provide the answers you need to guide your next steps.