Hospital outpatient appointment: 10 top tips

Hospital outpatient appointment: 10 top tips

In this article, we will describe 10 top tips to get the best out of a hospital outpatient appointment.

1. Symptoms. Write down details of your symptoms, including when they started and what makes them better or worse
2. Questions. Write down your two or three most important questions
3. Plan your journey. Plan how you will get to the hospital (bus or taxi is often best); and how you will find the clinic. The hospital website may have a map. Pack your medical record (do not assume all the computers link up), and a book or magazine – there might be a long wait
4. Medicines. List or bring all of your medicines and pills – including vitamins, supplements and non-prescription medications
5. Company. Ask a friend or family member to come with you. Two brains will remember more!
6. Questions
   • All questions are good questions
   • Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand. For example, ‘Can you say that again? I still don’t understand’
   • If you don’t understand any words, ask for them to be explained
7. Doctor’s name. Ask for the name (and rank) of the doctor who is seeing you and how you contact them in the future. If they are not the consultant (a.k.a. the boss), ask for the name of the consultant and their secretary’s number. Write it all down
   Top (top) tip. It is often better to wait longer to see the consultant, and it is your right to ask for this
8. Diagnosis. Ask the doctor for the diagnosis (what is wrong with you) and any alternative ones they are considering. Write it down
9. Next appointment (and what happens next). Check that you know what should happen next, and when. Write it down. Specify whether you want a face-to-face or virtual (e.g. telephone) appointment. Ask for the the first or last appointment of the day next time. You are more likely to be seen on time
10. Now. Have a rest. Go for a coffee!

These are some other good questions that you may want to ask the doctor – from NHS England’s website.

Summary

We have described 10 top tips to get the best out of a hospital outpatient appointment. The more you prepare, the more you will get out of it.