Wellness

[goodstuff]

Of course you can.

[wagirl]

By all means go for it!! My derm dr schedules almost an hour per visit--that way she can excise any suspicious spots that there may be and I don't have to come back for the procedure. A full body scan is always done. My results are posted online or her PA calls. If there isn't anything that needs special attention, she asks me if there was any more I needed and if not, then out the door I go.

[millieshops]

My answer is yes, but knowing that time is money for the doctor (any doctor), I'd go with a list and be ready to speak up on each issue briefly just as you did in your post.

[qualitygal]

yes, you have your doctor's ear (etc.) and there's no better time!!

[HonnyBrown]

YES!

I have a list of questions for my doctor, dentist and eye doctor. I keep them in my phone and add to them when I think of something.

I pull it out in the exam room and ask away.

[AlleyCat]

Well it didn't quite work out like I hoped. The front desk had told me to make a list and bring it up with the doctor but when I got back in the room the nurse told me that hair loss was one appointment and I would need to make an additional appointment to have a full body scan. So she agreed to look at my hair and my face yesterday. As a result I was prescribed a steroid solution for my scalp, told to buy Rogaine at 5%, and was sold a product called HQRA + which is a mix of 7% Hydroquinone and .05% Tretinoin. While I was there I was told to use one 2 times daily, another one 1 time daily, and the 3rd product I think 2 times daily. One product I was only supposed to use two weeks, the 2nd one for a longer period of time and the 3rd one for 12 weeks and no longer. I was so confused by the time I was walking to check out. I thought the nurse was writing all the information down for me but she was just filling out the paper for my lab work. I had to call back later to clarify and I called this morning also because I am not sure how often to use the face product they sold me. This was the first time I had been to this doctor and I liked her, I just wish they had provided me with all the information in written form or I had written it down. I left feeling like I had a lot of products and no knowledge on how to use them.

[granddi]

Here is part of the problem as stated by a sign in my doctors exam room:

Co-pay or No co-pay

Some "annual exams" allow for no co-pay. These visits cover cancer screenings and vaccination reviews only.

If acute,chronic, or medication issues are addressed, your insurance company considers this visit type to be an "office visit" and requires an co-pay.

What a mess!!

[glmama]

I know that for our pediatrician, who is very busy and is wonderful and spends lots of time with each patient, it is important that I mention most of what I'm concerned about when I make the appt.

My dermatologist, for whatever reason, likes to split up body checks with other skin questions and issues. Sometimes this is a pain, but I think time-wise they have to schedule things this way.

[MizKringle]

It's the direction that healthcare has gone since the beginnings of managed care. I remember that years ago, I used to go to a dermatologist who had appointments scheduled either 6 minutes or 3 minutes apart. I forget which one it was. Since most people had simple problems, I guess it worked for them - but it wasn't a way to have a relationship with the physician.

Alleycat - I'm sorry your doctor was so confusing about all of this. They really should write all of this down for you. I've had it happen before. You just have to call back and get a clarification. The nurse might be able to read the info to you from the medical record. Or you could ask the doc directly.

[Cookie06]

I think it is very inconsiderate to ask about as many issues as you have on your ""list"" when you haven't stated all of these concerns when you made your appointment. I don't agree that it is ok at all. How hard is it to tell the receptionist about all of your issues when you phone in to make the appointment? And the medical assistant sets up the room before the doc comes in with the proper items to be used for the problems you are seeing them about.

Always tell them everything when you make the appointment.