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Making the Most of Your Appointment - Overview

Many people are more satisfied with their health care if they share the responsibility with their health professionals. Your health professional is an expert on medical care, but you are the expert on yourself. Often there is more than one option for diagnosing or treating a condition. By being a partner with your health professional, you can help choose the option that best fits your values, beliefs, and lifestyle. You also will feel more confident about carrying out the chosen treatment.

Here are some tips for being a good partner with your health professional:

Build a relationship with your health professional. Let your health professional know that you want to be a partner in your health care. Tell the health professional what your expectations are.
Be an active participant in each appointment. Listen carefully to what your health professional says. If you do not understand a diagnosis or treatment, ask questions. Tell the health professional if you do not think that you can carry out the prescribed treatment.
Prepare your child for tests and exams. Let your child know why he or she is seeing a health professional and what will be done during the visit. Your child's age and developmental level will determine how best to prepare him or her.

What is the reason for your appointment?

During your appointment, you will need to answer some important questions so that you and your health professional can plan your care together. Completing the appropriate forms before the appointment helps you provide correct and complete information, take an active role in your health care decisions, and make the most of your limited appointment time.

Choose the form that best describes your reason for seeing the health professional.

**Helpful forms**
Reason for appointment	Form to complete
A new problem or symptom	New appointment (What is a PDF document?)
Follow-up to a previous problem	Follow-up appointment (What is a PDF document?)
First appointment with this health professional	First appointment (What is a PDF document?)
Appointment for an ongoing health problem	Regular checkup (What is a PDF document?)
Appointment for a child who is healthy	Regular checkup for a child (What is a PDF document?)

Do you take medicines?

If you take prescription or nonprescription medicines, including herbal remedies or vitamins, bring all your medicines with you to any appointment with a health professional. If you cannot bring the medicines, bring a list of the medicines that you take(What is a PDF document?) .

What other forms might be helpful?

If you and your health professional are going to discuss a new medicine, medical test, surgery, or special treatment, choose a form from the following list. Then fill in your information, and take the form with you to your visit. Completing the form will help you understand the importance of the treatment your health professional is advising for your health condition. If you do not have the form at the time of your visit, complete the form at home after the visit.

New medicine information (What is a PDF document?)
Medical test information (What is a PDF document?)
Surgery information (What is a PDF document?)
Special treatment information (What is a PDF document?)

Also, bring a copy of your health plan's list of covered prescription drugs-also known as a formulary.

What do you need to do after the appointment?

Update the medical records that you keep at home. For more information, see the topic Home Medical Records.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: July 25, 2007

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

Making the Most of Your Appointment Topics

Bladder Control Problems?
Have a Life Less Interrupted

Important Safety Information | Prescribing Information

ENABLEX is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

· having a strong need to go to the bathroom right away (also called "urgency")
· leaks or wetting accidents (also called "urinary incontinence")
· having to go to the bathroom too often (also called "urinary frequency")

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

You should not take once-daily ENABLEX if you have certain types of stomach problems, glaucoma, or have trouble emptying your bladder. Side effects of ENBLEX include blurred vision, and more commonly dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain. Use caution when doing certain activities until you know how ENBALEX affects you.

As You Journey through Menopause, Vivelle-Dot Is By Your Side

VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.

INDICATION

Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).

Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).

Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.

The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.

You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.

Prescribing Information