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Media Releases
Make the Most of Your Visits to the Doctor
Columbia, Mo. (August. 10, 2006) During a doctor's visit, how you describe your pain and what questions you ask can significantly influence the level of care you receive. Deanna Davenport, who is a nurse practitioner at the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for Rheumatic Diseases, knows that this is especially true for those with arthritis. From her own extensive experience with arthritis patients, Davenport has summed up some useful tips you can use for an efficient doctor's visit.
Be specific about pain
Take a minute to think about the pains you have been having lately. It's best to use a particular word (e.g. gnawing, piercing, throbbing, etc) to describe it. Before your visit, also answer these questions.
- When does it happen?
- Is it constant?
- Does it move from place to place?
- What have you done, in terms of activity, medicines, treatments, that made it better?
- Has anything made it worse?
If you can answer these questions quickly, the doctor can often have a clearer and faster understanding of your problem.
What to bring
- Medicines - Bring all your medicines with you or a recently updated list, including any herbal or vitamin supplements you use on a regular basis. Doctors need to see everything you're taking to make decisions about other medicines or the outcomes of blood tests.
- A list of questions - Write your concerns, doubts and speculations down before the visit. It's important to answer doctor's questions, but if you don't ask questions, you won't get the information you need. You may also consider arranging the questions according to their importance, in case you don't have enough time to cover all of them during one visit.
- Track of your treatments - It's not unusual for patients to have tried many treatments, and then can't say what they were. Keep track of what has been used, especially over-the-counter treatments, and if it was helpful.
What to wear
Wear clothing and shoes that are easy to remove. Many times, doctors need to visually inspect an area to understand how it works and where it hurts you. A minute saved on clothing could mean time for you to ask another question.
For new arthritis patients
- If you are referred to another doctor, arrange to have your previous records sent to the new doctor's office beforehand, or bring a copy with you. The doctor won't have to repeat tests, and won't have to spend as long obtaining your history. At the very least, think about what medicines or treatments you have tried and what happened with those treatments.
- Don't be surprised if you are referred for a new problem or the doctor orders blood work or x-rays. Arthritis can be just part of a bigger picture, and the doctor needs to understand exactly what's what before prescribing any medicines or treatments.
- If you are referred for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or another inflammatory disease, ask around your family to see if anyone's ever had a similar diagnosis. If there's a family history, it can help the doctor with the decision-making.
- The first appointment can take a while. Please plan accordingly and arrange for someone to watch your young children, if necessary.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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