How to Prepare for a Doctor’s Appointment: 5 Tips

You leave the doctor’s office, get to your car and immediately remember the one thing you forgot to ask. Sound familiar? 

It happens all the time, says Stephanie Liu, M.D., a family medicine physician at Hackensack Meridian Health in Paramus. The good news: A little preparation can go a long way toward maximizing your appointment and getting the answers you need. 

Here are five things to keep in mind before your next doctor’s visit.

1. Know the Goal of Your Visit

Before your appointment, think about one or two concerns you most want to discuss. 

Keep in mind that a wellness exam (like an annual physical with screenings) and a visit for a specific concern are two different things — and it’s usually difficult to do both at the same time, says Dr. Liu. Primary care doctors typically have only about 15 minutes per patient, so focus on what matters most.

If you booked a wellness visit but also have specific health concerns to discuss, those concerns will take priority during your appointment, and you'll likely need to reschedule the wellness exam for another day. “If you have concerns you want to address, those take precedence,” Dr. Liu says. “A wellness visit isn’t urgent, so that can be done another time.”

2. Bring Your Health History (and Your Family’s)

This is especially important if you’re seeing a doctor for the first time. 

Dr. Liu recommends bringing a list of: 

• Your diagnosed conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, allergies and vaccinations
• Medications, vitamins and supplements, including dosages, start dates, any recent changes and whether you've been taking them as prescribed (including any missed doses) or experiencing side effects
• Family history from first-degree relatives (parents, siblings and children) with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, mental health disorders and/or genetic conditions

Also have the name and location of your pharmacy handy and ready to share.

Be sure not to skip over any conditions. “A lot of times, patients don’t think that something from their history is important; like, they might not tell me they used to be diabetic or once had a blood clot,” says Dr. Liu.

Your list doesn’t need to be perfect. Even an approximate timeline of major health events or test results is helpful.

3. Write Down Your Questions

Even if your questions feel obvious, jot them down on paper or in a note on your phone. “It can be a lot to remember on the spot,” says Dr. Liu. 

That’s especially true because various tests or other topics that come up mid-visit could derail your train of thought. “You might get anxious or stressed during the visit and then might not remember what you wanted to discuss,” she says.

Dr. Liu suggests writing down your top one or two concerns along with specific details, like when the symptom started, what seems to trigger it and what helps. That way you won't be struggling to recall the details when you’re sitting on the exam table.

4. Consider Bringing Someone With You

If you have anxiety or fear about your appointment or worry about absorbing everything the doctor says, having a loved one or caretaker by your side can make a difference. “It’s especially helpful when the patient cannot really answer questions for themselves, regardless of their reason,” says Dr. Liu. 

If your support person can’t be there with you, call them during your appointment and put them on speaker. They can take notes and ask questions, which helps if you’re going over a lot of details that feel overwhelming.

5. Be Open and Honest

You might be tempted to fudge how much you exercise or how many glasses of wine you drink each week. Or you may want to gloss over symptoms because they don’t seem like a big deal. But being upfront is essential to getting the best possible treatment. 

“Care is only as good as the information given,” notes Dr. Liu. “Misleading information can lead to wrong diagnoses or unsafe prescribing.”

Your doctor isn’t asking about your habits to judge you, so it’s important to be honest. Accurate information about smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise directly affects what screenings you need, what medications are safe to prescribe and what guidance your doctor can offer, Dr. Liu says. 

The Bottom Line

Taking a few minutes before your visit to pull together your medical information and think about what you’d like to discuss can make your appointment more productive. 

“It keeps the visit focused, saves time and helps you leave with a clear plan and answers,” says Dr. Liu.

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our source: Stephanie Liu, M.D.
• Make an appointment online with a primary care provider near you, or call 800-822-8905.
• Learn more about our primary care services.