Whether you’ve been seeing the same physician for years or are visiting a new one for the first time, nobody wants to leave a consultation only to realize they didn’t cover all their bases. With conventional doctor’s visits getting shorter and shorter (the current national average is about 17 minutes), it’s incredibly important to go into your doctor’s visit well-equipped to make the most of every minute. Today, we’re sharing our five most effective tips to help you make the most of your doctor’s appointment in St. Pete (including game-changing advice about how to get longer and more thorough appointments with your physician). Let’s get started.

We strongly advise you to spend a few minutes in the days before your appointment coming up with a list of questions that you’d like to address during your doctor’s visit. Patients speak for a median time of 5.2 minutes during a standard doctor’s visit. This includes describing your symptoms and answering your physician’s questions. Given the relatively small window of time you have to ask questions in a conventional doctor’s appointment, it’s easy to overlook important questions. Google can be a great resource for everyday searches, but it’s no replacement for a physician’s advice. By writing down all of your questions and getting answers straight from your doctor, you’ll avoid having to resort to the potentially misleading catch-all advice of online medical resources.

We highly recommend seeing if your doctor’s office allows you to submit intake forms via a secure online portal before you show up in-office for an appointment. Getting the paperwork done ahead of time will allow you to relax before your appointment, giving you plenty of time to go over your questions, concerns, and any other talking points you may have for your doctor in the time that you would have otherwise spent filling out forms. Digital form submission can also be a great resource because it allows your physician to become acquainted with your medical information ahead of time, leaving them better prepared to listen to your needs during your actual appointment.

Your symptoms are your body’s way of communicating with you that something isn’t right. The more attention you pay to them, the better equipped you will be to give your physician thorough information to aid in their diagnosis. By jotting down all of the symptoms you’re experiencing, not just remembering the most recurrent or unpleasant ones, you’ll be giving your physician a better understanding of what’s going on. That said, symptoms don’t exist in a vacuum; they are one small piece of your health puzzle. Your medical history, family history, lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, stress levels, and sleeping patterns are just some of the other factors that play into your health. Take some notes about your general activity levels and lifestyle habits, in addition to any stressors you may be experiencing. The more detailed the information you can present to your physician, the better.

Don’t be afraid to ask your physician questions. They are there to help you, and that starts with making sure you feel empowered to take control of your health. If necessary, come up with a “closing questions” list prior to your appointment. It can also be a good idea to bring a close family member who is familiar with your lifestyle and medical history with you, encouraging them to ask closing questions of your physician that you may not have thought of. If you’re unsure about any part of your physician’s advice or recommendations, don’t leave those stones unturned; get the answers you need in order to move forward with your wellness plan.

Each piece of advice above can be effective at helping you make the most of your limited time with a physician. Of course, the best thing you can do is to improve the quantity and quality of the time you get with your doctor in the first place. That’s where a concierge physician comes in. With a concierge medical plan, you get round-the-clock access to your physician; if you forget to ask a question or clarify some piece of advice, you can call, text, or email your doctor right away to get the answers you need, in addition to getting priority scheduling for longer and more thorough appointments. With that said, working with a physician under a concierge plan means having an individualized health action plan that’s consistently updated in real time. A concierge physician doesn’t need to get caught up on your health; they stay on top of it regularly. The best thing you can do in order to make the most out of your doctor’s appointment in St. Pete is to consider working with a concierge physician.

Making the most of your doctor’s appointment in St. Pete starts with finding a physician who can meet all of your needs, then coming up with a plan. To learn more about the concierge model and how it can benefit your health plan, click here.