5 Questions You Should Ask Your Family Doctor on Your Next Visit

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How many times have you gone to the doctor for something but left with so many unanswered questions in mind simply because you didn’t ask?  Don’t worry, you are not alone. Recent *studies show that a lot of patients keep their questions to themselves for several reasons. It could either be because they don’t want to be perceived as a difficult patient or they are scared to reveal that they don’t know much about their illnesses. Either way, this should change. If we are serious about our health, then we should ask more questions because the more that we know, the better we can adjust and improve our condition. Whether it’s you, your spouse or your kids who need medical attention , here are 5 questions you should ask your family doctor on your next visit.

Please note that I am not a medical expert and this article should not be taken as expert advice but rather as a guide.

5 Important Questions You Should Ask Your Family Doctor on Your Next Visit

Details about Your Condition

Don’t freeze the moment you hear medical terms of your conditions. If you don’t know much about the diagnosis, ask your doctor to explain it to you. Don’t worry about sounding dumb or not knowledgeable enough, this is your health we’re talking about.

Ask what it is, what caused it, short term and long term prognosis, as well as things you can do to protect yourself. Your doctor should be able to explain these things to you. It is important that you know what to expect to avoid panic and unnecessary anxiety attacks over something that could have been explained to you.

Treatment Plan

Make sure that your treatment plan is clear to you. How long and how often you should get treatment. You also need to make sure you understand the correct dosage of your medicines and how long you’re supposed to take them.

Alternative Medications and Treatments

Let’s face it, not everyone is open to a single course of treatment. If you are not comfortable about it, ask your doctor if there are alternative treatments or medications. And this also includes asking your doctor if he can recommend other generic brands if you are concerned about the cost of your medicines. Don’t just nod in front of your doctor but go directly to Google to search “alternative treatments to…”

It is best that you get these answers from someone who now has your medical test results and background instead of taking advice from an online forum from people you do not know.

Side Effects and What to Expect During and After Treatment

Sometimes we forget to ask if our prescribed medications have side effects and if they have contraindications with any other medicines and supplements we’re taking. Asking this during the visit can help avoid unnecessary calls to our doctor at midnight just because we can’t seem to fall asleep.

This is very important especially if you drive or operate heavy equipment to avoid accidents should the treatment cause drowsiness or sleepiness.

How Your Condition Can Affect Your Lifestyle

Or better yet, ask your doctor what lifestyle changes you need to make to improve your condition. Do not start an exercise regimen without asking your doctor first just because your neighbor is doing it.  It is best that you get the sign-off from your medical practitioner first.

Whether it’s because we were either in a shock, distracted, or in a hurry, we all have that tendency to forget one of the most important things you should do during a doctor’s visit and that is to ask questions.  suggest writing these questions down for you to bring to your next doctor’s appointment and feel free to add other questions you may have.

I know I said 5 questions but I think this last one is very important.

How It Can Affect Your Family and the People Around You

Serious or not,  your medical condition will affect the people around you. Ask if your condition is highly communicable and if it is, how can you protect your family members.

You also need to ask what kind of support you may need from your family. Whether physical or moral support just so they will also be made aware of the changes they may need to make in order to adjust. This is very important because your family deserves to know.

What stops people from asking these questions?

According to the study, it has something to do with high or low literacy. People who have no medical background may be scared to ask a lot of questions to avoid being perceived as dumb but in my humble opinion, I think, this also depends on the situation in the hospital or clinic.

Wait time should also be considered as well as the atmosphere. A patient who waited for quite a long time to see the doctor may be anxious to leave already and will not bother to ask questions. The doctor’s demeanor can also affect this, if sensing that the medical practitioner is in a hurry or very businesslike, the patient may bot even bother to ask and even becomes impatient to leave.

I think it is important for one to find a doctor who’s not only an expert in his or her field but also puts the patient’s health and peace of mind a priority. In Cebu, Cebuanos and patients from neighboring cities and islands have access to top notch doctors from different fields at LH Prime Medical Clinic.

LH Prime Medical Clinic is a tertiary diagnostic clinic that offers a complete line of diagnostic and medical outpatient services. For 13 years now, LH Prime has grown with several branches situated all over Cebu. The biggest branch is located along A.S. Fortuna, Banilad, Cebu City with satellite branches in Consolacion, Mactan Promenade, Mactan Basak, Punta, Labangon and Minglanilla.

The clinics are equipped with top-quality facilities, attended by Cebu’s top-notch medical specialists and expert medical practitioners who are willing to go the extra mile to pacify your concerns by answering all questions you may have regarding your condition.

At LH Prime, you are guaranteed with clean, spacious, and comfortable atmosphere with friendly and competent staff who’s goal is to provide each patient uncompromised quality service.

 

Call or visit LH Prime Medical Clinic at the following branches:

Mandaue Branch
A.S. Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue City
345-3488; 345-1266

Mactan 1
Unit 1-4 AT & Sons bldg. Basak, Lapu-lapu City
505-5598; 342-0737; 495-1699

Consolacion Branch
Cansaga, National Highway, Consolacion
423-4046; 238-3602; 505-5599

Labangon Branch
F. Llamas St., Punta Princesa, Labangon, Cebu City
261-4517

Mactan 2
Matumbo-Pusok Road, Lapu-Lapu City
888-6627; 494-3035

 

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*Source – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583801/

 

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