5 Survival Tips for Dealing With Doctor's Appointments

I know you don’t want to read a guide about dealing with doctors and the million-and-one appointments you have to schedule, but alas, sometimes you just need a little advice. Know that you are not alone. We all hate dealing with doctor’s appointments, scheduling them, remembering them, and then of course, we all dread going. To keep it simple, here are some of the tips I use:

1. Organization Is Your Friend

I add all of my doctors’ information to my contact list, including name, specialty, address, phone number, and email address. I also add all of my appointments to my calendar app on my phone. When I do this, I usually include the name of the doctor, address, phone number, date, time, and email address, and I always set a reminder; sometimes, if I have a ton of appointments, I send additional email reminders to myself. This helps me keep my appointments in order; plus, I can easily reach my doctor at any point, because their information is stored on my phone and in the appointment slot.

2. All at Once

If I can, I try to schedule all of my appointment in one day. I hate how much time I have to spend in some of these appointments, so I try my hardest to get everything done quickly and efficiently.

3. Specialist First

When making appointments to see any specialist, I make sure I always take the first appointment available. This means that if they open at 6 a.m, I make sure to schedule my appointment at 6 a.m. In my opinion, it’s the best slot in the book. As long as my doctor arrives on time, I don’t have to wait; plus, I usually get a few extra minutes with my specialist to ask my laundry list of questions.

4. Therapy Last

I live by this rule. I always book the last appointment of the day to be my massage therapist or acupuncturist. I do this because once I am done with my therapy, I get to go home and reap the benefits by lying in my bed and relaxing. Trust me. It’s pretty amazing.

5. Go Digital

Prior to moving to Nigeria, I had Kaiser Permanente insurance and it was amazing because they have this online portal where I could email my doctor, request a call back, refill my meds and have them delivered to my home; basically, it was a dream come true. I highly recommend selecting a doctor that lets you email them. It is so efficient and easy to just send a quick message to your doctor with any question you might have. Also, if you can get your pharmacy to deliver medications to your home or work address, it will save you time and it will be one less reminder you have to add to your phone.

5. Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants Can Be Solid Options

When my issues are not urgent, I book appointments with the NP or the PA. It usually ensures that I get to speak to someone that same week and I don’t have to wait for an eternity for my doctor to have time to see me.

6. Photograph Everything

I take pictures of my medication bottles, referrals, and prescriptions. This helps me keep track of everything and I can always pull it up when I need to show one of my doctors. Simplicity at its finest!

OK, those are my tips. Do you have any additional tips you would recommend? Comment below and let me know. I am always looking for shortcuts to dealing with doctors.

Editor’s note: Any medical information included is based on a personal experience. For questions or concerns regarding health, please consult a doctor or medical professional.

This post was originally published on The Curvy Spine.