- When patients reveal a problem as the visit is ending – When you visit the doctor, you have three opportunities to mention the purpose of the visit: when you make the appointment and the receptionist asks, when the nurse who checks you in asks, and when the doctor comes and asks what concerns you have. It’s important to be completely honest about your symptoms, otherwise, you might end up with the wrong diagnosis.
- When patients are on the phone during their appointment – A doctor’s time with each patient is already limited, not to mention the sudden emergencies or administrative tasks. If on top of that, you add speaking on your phone, the experience loses its purpose.
- When patients suggest they already know everything about a health topic because they’ve Googled it – One doctor opened up about this matter: “I’ve had patients come in who demand LASIK when cataract surgery would be the better option.” You have to trust your doctor’s expertise. If all we needed to diagnose were a few Google searches, why would doctors sacrifice so many years to study the depths of medicine?
- When patients try to squeeze multiple appointments into one visit – Any annual physical is about how your doctor can prevent future illness, while follow-up visits are for addressing specific problems. Don’t try to get a physical when you’re visiting a doctor for a particular concern.
- When patients don’t prioritize what problems they want to bring up – If you come with more than one concern, your doctor might have trouble evaluating any or even all of them.
