Guide for Doctor Consultation

Visiting a doctor may not be the favourite activity of the people but it is a much-needed task for staying fit and healthy along with other tasks like diet management and lifestyle control. It is common for the majority of people to visit the doctor only after certain health symptom is visible or when they are sick. But most doctors across the world often recommend visiting regularly or at least annually despite being fit or despite having no visible health complaints. By doing so a person can not only remain healthy but can also avoid health-related complications. 

Finding doctor

But before a doctor consultation, it is necessary to choose a doctor first. Many of us usually prefer to visit a doctor who is a family friend or known to us through near and dear ones. But you may come across a question are you visiting the right doctor? So, if you are not satisfied then how to select the best doctor? Moreover, the task of selecting doctors becomes complex in online doctor consultations wherein numerous doctors are online to provide health consultation services. 

The task of selecting a doctor is challenging. Numerous websites may give an idea of doctor profiles, their waiting time, office staff information, etc. Some sites do have patient reviews but these sites lack information on the effectiveness of the doctors.  

So the best way is to read the doctor's profile and experience, and know about the doctor's specialization and timings. Go through the reviews and try to contact a few patients for genuine reviews. Seek advice from your family and friends. You can also check the insurance company to find out the doctors associated with the network. 

For common health issues, you can prefer the doctor in your locality or the one suggested by your near and dear friends. But for complex health conditions do a little research work in examining the doctor profile, know about your disease and try to approach a doctor who is specialized in the specific disease. 

Over the internet, you can search using keywords like diabetes specialist doctor, heart specialist doctor, or procedure-specific like hip replacement specialist, heart valve surgeon. There is a certain website that gives you information on all these specialisations and the specific doctor profile to look upon. 

Preparation for doctor consultation 

The next task of the doctor consultation process is to prepare for the consultation. Some general tips for preparing yourself for consultation are as follows:

• Make a list of the points that you want to discuss with the doctor. Put these in order.

• Know about the fees and the timings of the availability of the doctor. Try to get in touch with the doctors who are flexible in timings. If the timings do not match then consulting a doctor online can also be opted in non-critical cases. Get an appointment as per your comfort.

• Keep with you previous consultation documents or reports of tests (if any) for helping the doctor to understand your history. Moreover, you should be aware of your health-related family history. This can help in the diagnosis of family-related diseases. 

• Get a close friend or family member along with you for consultation.

• Take notes or remember the guidelines as suggested by the doctor during the consultation. 

• Speak freely with the doctor regarding the health issues and do not hesitate or have any concerns. If anything is bothering you speak with the doctor freely over it.

• Some doctors may ask you to bring all the supplements, medicines, or herbal remedies in use for getting a clear picture of the diet and medicine in use. 

• In case of any allergy to drugs or food do speak with the doctor about it. 

Now that you are ready for the doctor's consultation, visit the doctor. 

Doctor visit

When you visit a doctor, the doctor shall try to gain the patient medical history and understand your health concerns. In some cases, the doctor may ask you to get some diagnostic test done. The test may be a urine test, a blood test, x-ray or ultrasound or CT scan or MRI, etc. based on the need. Based on your medical history, diagnostic tests, and your health complaints the doctor may prescribe medicines and plan your further treatment. In some cases, there may be a need for consulting specialist or surgeon. 

During revisits tell your doctor about any changes in your health if like changes in appetite, body weight, energy levels, any reactions, sleep issues, etc. Tell about any medicine extra dosage or missing dosage and the changes you feel. 

Finally, if you have a very busy schedule and you feel the best way to reach out is via consulting a doctor online then some reputed sites and hospitals provide online doctor consultations. These are highly beneficial in case of elderly patient revisits, in case of skin and sexology issues, and in cases of pandemic social distancing norms. But online consultation should not be used for emergency conditions or in complex health conditions where physical examination is a must. The best part of online consultation with the doctor is it can help in avoiding self-diagnosis. 

Summary: 

Doctor consultation is necessary to ensure you have a healthy body. Doctors give advice based on the medical history, and the understanding of the health issues. Thus, speaking freely during a consultation and providing all the information shall help in a more accurate diagnosis. Issues like language barriers, timings, fees, and other concerns must be addressed before the consultation. Try to list all your problems and provide relevant information for making the consultation more effective.