The Washington Post: How to make the most of your first doctor’s appointment in a while

As more people venture out with coronavirus pandemic restrictions easing, individuals are scheduling long overdue doctor’s appointments. Physicians are playing catch up to check a patient’s health status, but the typical doctor’s visit is about 20 minutes. It means a lot needs to happen in that time and physicians have been offering some advice to help people maximize their doctor visits.

A journalist for the Washington Post spoke with Louito Edje, MD, associate dean of graduate medical education at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health family medicine physician, about getting most out of that long awaited doctor’s appointment. Edje suggests that patients prioritize their issues before the appointment. Create an agenda and identify the top three to five concerns you want the physician to address, Edje told the Washington Post. “It’s usually while the doctor has a hand on the doorknob and is about to leave that the patient brings up the issue they really want to address, because they had to build up to it,” she said. “Be explicit about why you’re there and what your chief complaints are.”

Read the full article in the Washington Post.

Learn more about Louito Edje, MD.

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