Suggestions For A Meeting With Your Doctor
What will you receive information on?
The meeting with the doctor is important: You will receive, within a short space of time, information on:
It is important that you clearly understand what the doctor is telling you.
It is also important that the doctor clearly understands what you have got to say. The doctor needs information from you in order to establish what is wrong with you, which examination or treatment is called for and whether the treatment is effective.
How can you prepare yourself?
It helps when you prepare yourself properly for the meeting with your doctor.
For this reason you will find below a list of suggestions for a good meeting with the doctor.
Before your meeting, think carefully about all the things you wish to say, putting them down on paper. This way you will not forget anything. It also helps to clearly describe your symptoms. Bear the following in mind:
Apart from that, you can prepare yourself by:
The meeting with the doctor is important: You will receive, within a short space of time, information on:
- the illness or condition which you have got (diagnosis);
- the (potential) causes;
- the examinations which you may still have to undergo;
- what the doctor can do about it (options for treatment)
- the risks (if any) of the treatment (complications)
- whether there might be any other examinations or treatments
- your prospects following treatment.
It is important that you clearly understand what the doctor is telling you.
It is also important that the doctor clearly understands what you have got to say. The doctor needs information from you in order to establish what is wrong with you, which examination or treatment is called for and whether the treatment is effective.
How can you prepare yourself?
It helps when you prepare yourself properly for the meeting with your doctor.
For this reason you will find below a list of suggestions for a good meeting with the doctor.
Before your meeting, think carefully about all the things you wish to say, putting them down on paper. This way you will not forget anything. It also helps to clearly describe your symptoms. Bear the following in mind:
- What are your reasons for visiting the doctor?
- Describe your health problems, when they occur, how long they have been bothering you.
- Consider beforehand what you expect from the doctor: do you want an examination, a referral, new medication...
- Other questions you may wish to ask.
Apart from that, you can prepare yourself by:
- Taking along any medication you are taking at home, preferably in the original packaging.
- Ask someone along to a meeting with the doctor. Two people hear more than one!
- If you have a poor command or understanding of Dutch, be sure to ask the assistant at the outpatient department to arrange a(n) (telephone) interpreter.