Be well prepared for your appointment

Here are several recommendations to help you prepare for your appointment with a doctor or other health professional.

1.    Write down the following information:

• your symptoms, their frequency, when and how they appear;
• your personal history, such as illnesses, injuries, hospitalizations and operations, along with their dates;
• vaccinations that you have received and their dates;
• any specific conditions you may have (allergies, disabilities, pregnancy, nursing, etc.);
• the results of your latest tests (bloods tests, urine analyses) and recent x-rays, etc.

2. Take a complete, up-to-date list of your medications. Your pharmacist can provide a list of your prescribed medications and you should add any non-prescription medications, vitamins, food supplements and natural products that you are taking. If this is not possible, take all your medications with you.

3. Prepare a list of questions that you would like to ask.

4. On the day of your appointment:

• arrive on time with a pen and paper so that you can take notes;
• if you are unable to arrive at the scheduled time, notify the clinic as early as possible so that your appointment can be given to another patient;
• do not hesitate to ask questions and write down the answers;
• if necessary, ask a relative or friend to accompany you.