What to Tell Your Doctor/Care Provider

You should always feel like you can talk to your doctor/care provider because you will almost always need to.  You will have to tell her about your health, discuss treatment options with her, to correct any wrong information about you, or if something is a concern.

• At the start of the visit, tell your doctor/care provider why you are there and what your concerns and questions are.  If you are there for a specific problem, tell her as much about it as possible, like when it began and what the symptoms are.
• Give your doctor/care provider the list of all your medications and your health history [see: What to Bring with You].  If you don’t have a list with you or you are in an emergency situation, always make sure to tell your care provider what medicines you are taking and important facts about your health, like “I have a pacemaker.” “I am diabetic.” “I am allergic to penicillin”
• Let your doctor/care provider know if the cost of your health care is a concern for you.  She may be able to help you find lower price drugs and treatments
• Let your doctor/care provider know if you have any concerns about safety matters.  For example, if your doctor doesn’t wash her hands before examining you, you can say, “Can you please wash your hands before we get started?”
• Correct any wrong information your doctor/care provider has, such as the name of a medication you are taking or the part of your body that is hurt