What to Bring to a Doctor's Appointment: A Family Physician's Checklist
Qué llevar a una cita médica: la lista de un médico de familia
Written by a family medicine physician & certified medical interpreter · Ambos Health
Most primary-care visits are short. The patients who get the most out of them aren't the ones who talk fastest; they're the ones who walk in prepared. Here is what I wish every patient brought.
The checklist
- Every medicine you take — the bottles themselves, or an up-to-date list with the dose and how often. Include vitamins, supplements, inhalers, eye drops and herbal teas.
- Your top 3 concerns, most important first. Say the #1 concern in the first minute, not as you're leaving.
- Insurance card and photo ID.
- Home readings — blood pressure or blood sugar logs if you check them.
- Results or records from other doctors, especially if they're in a different health system.
- Glasses and hearing aids, so you can read forms and hear instructions.
- Someone to take notes for visits that matter.
- An interpreter request if English isn't your strongest language — it's usually free (see our guide to your interpreter rights).
The night before: write your top 3
For each concern, jot down when it started, what makes it better or worse, and what you've already tried. Doctors ask these questions for every symptom — we call the checklist OLDCARTS (Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/alleviating, Radiation, Timing, Severity).
Before you leave: teach-back
Repeat the plan in your own words: “So I'm starting X twice a day, getting a blood test this week, and calling if Y happens.” If anything is fuzzy, ask now. Then update your medication list the same day.
En español
Lleve: todos sus medicamentos (o la lista), sus 3 preocupaciones principales en orden, la tarjeta del seguro, sus registros de presión o azúcar, resultados de otros médicos, lentes y aparatos auditivos, alguien que tome notas y, si lo necesita, pida un intérprete (normalmente es gratis). Antes de irse, repita el plan con sus propias palabras.
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Three bilingual pages from our physician-designed binder: the one-page Emergency Health Summary, the “Where should I go?” guide and interpreter wallet cards.
Download free · Descargar gratis See the full binderGeneral education, not medical advice. Your own clinician's advice comes first. In an emergency, call 911.