Your primary healthcare provider is your partner in helping you live your best and healthiest life. Like any other partnership, clear and effective communication between both parties is necessary to forge a productive relationship. Asking questions and having conversations about your health with your primary care provider enables them to deliver higher-quality care to improve your overall wellness.
Asking questions during your doctor visits helps you take a more proactive role in your healthcare. Use your doctor appointments as an opportunity to educate yourself on ways and steps to take to manage your health best and improve your wellbeing. Before you schedule your next doctor visit, prepare a list of questions about your health to ask your primary care physician to get the most out of your appointment.
Not sure what to ask during your next doctor appointment? Here are 5 questions you should ask your primary care provider to help you live a healthier and longer life:
1. How can I improve my health?
While a simple and common question, the answers you will receive might encourage you to adopt healthier lifestyle choices. Many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can be prevented or treated with simple lifestyle changes. Research has shown that healthy lifestyle measures such as weight loss through caloric restriction and increased physical activity prevents metabolic syndrome or treats the condition when present.
When visiting your primary healthcare provider, discuss health concerns and work with them to develop a plan to accomplish your wellness goals. If your health goal is to lose 20 pounds this year, you and your doctor can develop a weight loss plan where you lose five pounds between every three-month doctor visit. Your health goal will be easier to accomplish if you break it down into several smaller actionable tasks that you can work on with your doctor between appointments.
2. Can I make any changes to my medications?
If you’re taking any over-the-counter medicine or prescriptions from a previous provider, your doctor should be informed of every single one of them. At your next doctor appointment, list all the over-the-counter and prescription drugs you’re currently taking, and ask your primary healthcare provider if you need to make any changes to your medication regimen. Your doctor may recommend stopping the intake of some medication, changing to other brands, or altering the dosages to address the needs of your current state of health.
Aside from eliminating redundant medication and altering the dosages on others, you should not shy away about asking your doctor for more affordable prescription medication alternatives to your current treatment plan. Most healthcare providers don’t know how much prescriptions will cost, as patients have different insurance coverage plans. During your next medical appointment, inform your primary healthcare provider of your medication’s high costs so they can recommend or prescribe a more affordable alternative.
3. What screening tests do you recommend for me?
As you get older, the risk of developing certain diseases and conditions increases. If you have a family history of a specific health disorder, such as cancer, you are at a higher risk for developing the disease with advancing age. Get a routine screening for diseases early to increase your chances of successful treatment. Other than age and family history, your gender, lifestyle habits, and current health status will determine what types of screenings you need to prevent the development of a disease.
During your next doctor’s appointment, discuss your family history and overall health with the physician, and ask them what type of screening tests you need to partake in to protect your health. Depending on your risk factors, your healthcare provider will recommend several routine screenings and tests to help you detect diseases as early as possible. Other than routine screenings for gender-specific cancers, your doctor might also conduct routine cholesterol and blood pressure tests to determine your risk for stroke and heart disease.
Many screening tests can be conducted within the comfort of your home. Aside from asking about types of screening tests, you should also question your doctor about at-home testing options available to screen for potential diseases. Many medical facilities offer physician house calls to screen patients for diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer in the convenience of your home. At-home screening tests offer privacy and convenience while helping you fight disease.
4. Are these supplements worth my money?
If you’re among the 170 million Americans that consume dietary supplements frequently, you might be wondering if all that money you’re spending is having any positive impact on your health. Many of the supplements you consume are unnecessary, and some of them can even harm your health. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, and E, build up in your system, causing vitamin toxicity. Plenty of studies have found that vitamin consumption increases the risk of early death.
Bring your doctor a list of all the vitamins and supplements you consume and ask the physician if they are worth taking. Your doctor may recommend testing your vitamin levels to help them determine which supplements you need to consume, and which you need to discard. Unless you have a vitamin deficiency, supplements may not be necessary to promote good health.
5. How often should I get a checkup?
Frequent visits with your primary care provider empower you to make better lifestyle choices and prevent the development of diseases so you can live your healthiest life. The most important question you should ask your doctor is how often you should be seeing them to get a detailed health analysis.
The frequency of doctor visits will depend on your age, medical history, and current health status. In general, doctors recommend one checkup visit per year for healthy individuals. If you are diagnosed with or at high-risk for developing a chronic disease, such as cholesterol or diabetes, you should schedule more frequent appointments with your primary healthcare provider to conduct routine health screenings and tests.
Question Your Doctor to Promote Good Health
To live your best life, you must take a proactive role in your healthcare. Asking questions about your health and educating yourself on the latest wellness developments during your doctor appointments prolong your healthspan and enhance your quality of life. Prepare a list of important questions to ask during the upcoming doctor visit to help you take charge and play a more active role in your healthcare.
