The Importance of Writing Things Down before visit to allergist (Hong Kong)

Good communication between patients and their doctors is essential to good medical care. This communication is becoming increasingly difficult because medical care itself is becoming more complicated every day, especially with challenging diseases like asthma. In the case of seniors, the level of complexity may be even higher because many seniors have more than one medical condition. 

A valuable aid to good communication is for patients to write things down before visiting their doctors and for their doctors to write down important information during visits. This article will help you prepare for your visit with your doctor and will also help you to get the most out of your visit.

Medical care is dependent upon accurate information and patients can take an active role in their medical care by writing down accurate information for their physicians. Material that should be written down by patients before visiting their physicians includes information about the course of their illnesses, the medications they are taking and any questions they may have. An example of useful information about the course of an illness is an asthma symptom diary. This diary may include a record of asthma symptoms, when the symptoms happen, what may have triggered the symptoms, the management measure that was used and the response to the management measure. Similar diaries are useful in the case of other allergic and respiratory diseases, like allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and food allergies.

Along with information about the course of illnesses, a carefully prepared medication list is always helpful. Some patients also put all their medications into a bag and bring them to their doctor visits. All patients should make sure their doctors know of any new medications they are taking. Any questions about the medications, such as how they are properly used, the dose that should be taken, side effects, or concerns for cross-reactivity with other medications, should be written down before visiting the doctor. Other questions should also be written down before visiting the doctor, such as concerns about new symptoms or the long-term prognosis of illnesses. In essence, information that has been written down by patients is usually more accurate and complete, which can make visits with physicians more effective.

Physicians also need to participate in the process of accurately sharing information. Studies have shown that patients tend to forget much of what they hear during visits with their physicians. Therefore, it is essential that physicians write down important information for their patients during visits. Examples of important information for patients with asthma and allergic diseases include asthma action plans and results from allergy testing. If a physician does not write important information down, it is reasonable for a patient to ask him or her to do so.
Medical care is complex and challenging for both patients and their physicians. A very helpful way to share information, including records of symptoms, medication lists, and important questions, is to write it down before visiting the doctor. Physicians, themselves, should also take an active role in writing down important information for their patients. Patients and their physicians need to work together to make sure that information is shared effectively.

Reference source: http://www.aaaai.org.