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1.15

Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms

Write down your main concern and your symptoms before the visit, and say the most important thing first.

A senior doctor at his desk takes notes on a clipboard while a patient seated across from him explains what is wrong.
Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Pexels
Area: BodyFrom age 18Time to learn: 30 minutes the first time. About 10 minutes after that.

You will be able to book your own appointment and describe what is wrong clearly enough for the doctor to act on it.

SafetyDo not wait for an appointment for chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke or heavy bleeding: call 911. For a mental-health crisis, call or text 988 in the US or Canada.

Why it matters

Appointments are short, and the first minute matters most. In 112 recorded visits, clinicians asked for the patient's concerns in only 36% of them. Even then, they interrupted the patient in two out of three of those visits, after a median of 11 seconds. Arriving with a short written list helps make sure your main problem gets heard.

How to do it

  1. Have ready what the office will ask for: your full name, date of birth, phone number, and your insurance card (US) or provincial or territorial health card (Canada).
  2. Call the clinic, or use its online booking or patient portal. Say whether you are a current patient.
  3. Give the reason in one sentence, for example “I've had a cough for three weeks.” Ask for a longer appointment if you have more than one issue.
  4. Ask what to do if things get worse before the appointment, or when the office is closed. In most provinces and territories in Canada, you can also call 811 to speak with a registered nurse.
  5. Write your symptom notes: what it is, where it is, when it started, how often it happens, how bad it is from 0 to 10, what makes it better or worse, and what you have tried.
  6. List every medicine, vitamin and supplement you take, with doses, or bring them all in a bag.
  7. Put your concerns in order and raise the most important one first.
  8. At the visit, read from your list. Ask: “What do you think it is? What is the next step? What should make me come back sooner?”
  9. Before you leave, repeat the plan back in your own words and write it down.

Common mistakes

  • Saving the real worry until the doctor is about to leave.
  • Saying “I feel off” without details on when, where and how bad.
  • Forgetting the list of medicines and supplements.
  • Leaving without knowing the next step or when to follow up.
You can do this when …you have booked an appointment yourself and arrived with a one-page list: main concern first, symptom details, and all your medicines.

Sources

  1. National Institute on Aging – How To Prepare for a Doctor's Appointment
  2. AHRQ – Questions Are the Answer
  3. Singh Ospina et al. (2019), Eliciting the Patient's Agenda
  4. Government of the Northwest Territories – 811 Health Advice Line

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

All lessons

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  15. 1.15Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms · You are here
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