When going to a new physician or a specialist

Maximize your time with the doctor.  Be prepared by doing the suggested following tasks before the appointment:

Request and authorize your primary care physician or specialist to forward your medical records to the new physician/specialist.   In some situations, this will require a signed and dated release form.  Allow as much time as possible for this to occur, and be prepared to pay a record fee. 

Call a week before the appointment to be sure the information has arrived.

Another important piece of information to bring along is a Personal Health and Family Health History Record* (See:  “General Forms” section), which plays an important role in the everyone’s overall healthcare, and often needs to be done only once when seeing a new doctor for the first time. 

Can you really remember all of the dates of your surgeries as you anxiously sit in the waiting room completing a four page form just before you see a new doctor for the first time?  Creating the personal and family history documents prior to the appointment allows for greater accuracy and detail. 

Be certain, to have the doctor’s staff make a copy for their file and maintain the original for your future use.  Keep these originals updated with any changes, including other family members. 

(* Your children or siblings will benefit from this family history.  Too often the senior family members pass away with the knowledge whom had cardiac disease, or what type of cancer grandmother had, or whether diabetes II run in the family and who was affected by it?) 

Too often, younger generations are left with only questions, instead of facts.