Getting the most out of a fifteen-minute consultation

Before you go

Write down your three most important questions. In a short consultation, you will reliably get through three; you will not get through ten.

Bring the paperwork

Previous prescriptions, test results and a list of every medicine you take — including supplements — save your doctor from guessing.

Describe the timeline

When it started, what makes it better or worse, and what has changed recently. That sequence is more useful than adjectives.

Before you leave

Confirm what the diagnosis is, what the next step is, and what should prompt you to come back sooner. Repeat it back in your own words.

This article is demonstration content.