First Meeting With New Primary Doctor

[albot]

After a few years of going to a medical clinic and being in a factory-like atmposhere with uncaring doctors and very little time spent with the patient, I am finally going to my wife's doctor who has a private practice. My wife thinks she is amazing, so kind and very interested in you. A relatively new, young doctor with a new practice. I have scheduled an appointment for my annual physical and to tell her about a couple of the chronic, undiagnosed symptoms I had over the last couple of years that the previous clinic doctors just brushed off and called me a hypochondriac and a depressed person, and I even took some medication(what a disaster and a joke that was!). I never got quality time with any doctor there and they were always so rushed and uninterested. Typical HMO medicine. I don't need that kind of treatment from another doctor even though these symptoms(chronic abdominal discomfort) might very well be benign and I am willing to except that. I am generally very healthy and take good care of myself. My questions are as follows:

Would it be appropriate to fax the new doctor a brief history of the symptoms(including medical records) and just give her a "heads up" on what I am going to be seeing her for? Maybe if she knows in advance we will have a more productive meeting? What do would she think of this and is a common thing to do?



Mark

[elees_31]

I just went to a new primary this past week too and I understand your problem w/ doctors not spending enough time w/ you!  This doctor was amazing!  I hope you have the same luck as me.  
I agree that the doc. probably will not look at anything before you arrive.  I suggest writing down everything you want to address..your pains, symptoms, etc. so that you don't let anything slip through the cracks during your meeting.  I took a LLOOOONNGGG list myself and I ended up not referring to it but I wanted to have it in case.  I hope she spends as much time w/ you as you feel you need, that in and of itself will make a huge difference in making you feel better.  Good luck!

[tanns]

This might be a little different but maybe the idea is along the same lines.  I am going to the Mayo Clinic next week for an evaluation of some unexplained year long chest pains.  I will be seeing a cardiologist and then whoever he sends me to next, if he rules out the heart (fingers crossed).  I was told to bring diagnostic reports, not records and not subjective material.  For example, I have been seen by two cardiologists here in town.  One thinks I am anxiety ridden and writes that on almost every evaluation sheet.  He has also done a huge number of tests.  The mayo clinic wants the report from the tests only.  Not opinions.

So, what I have been told to do is to bring diagnostic testing results and whatever scans/xrays/cds that I have.  They told me to have a list of tests and times I have seen doctors and who.  Like a timeline.  So, my first appt was with the cardio.  I tell him that and then he might ask for the results from the tests that the cardio did.  Then I went to a lung doc, he may or may not want to see the reports from the cat scans that doc ordered.  On and on.

The Mayo doctor, I was told, will not be reading about me until I get there and present myself.  He will ask questions and if I have reports and stuff to answer, if not they will probably run them there anyway.

I would bring facts only and maybe results of any diagnostic tests you had.  Just a thought.