• How To Find And Keep A Physician
• Take An Interest In Your Personal Health
• Telephone Inquiries And Prescription Refills
• After-Hours Medical Assistance
• Know Your Medications And Take Them As Directed

• Keeping Appointments
• Asking For Test Results
• Communicate
• New And Conflicting Medical Advice
• Fees, Insurance & Billing

Changing physicians frequently does not give the physician or patient a chance to develop a good relationship. Knowing you and your medical history over a long period of time is important to the physician and to your care. Make an effort to find a physician who is conveniently located to you and with whom you can develop a long-term and trusting relationship.

If you don't have a primary care physician (internist, family or general practitioner, pediatrician, obstetrician/gynecologist, etc.) to help you with your health care needs, seek one by talking to your friends about their physicians. Also, many of the hospitals in the area maintain doctor referral services. You can also check our Member Websites section for DCMS member physician practices.

Understanding your own health history and taking an interest in your health and fitness is an important factor in controlling current problems and in preventing future ones. Such an interest is also vital in building a constructive and beneficial relationship with your physician. Follow his or her advice and work to maintain open and honest two-way communication.

If you are calling and have questions for the physician, let the office staff help you. Tell them what your needs and concerns are, and they will relay them to the physician. The physician will either return your call or ask the nurse to help you. If you are seeking prescription refills, have the name and phone number of your pharmacy ready. Some medical practices use e-mail to communicate with patients for non-urgent questions or problems.  Check with your physician for their policies on e-mail usage.

Most physicians, unless they have a limited practice, share after-hours calls with other physicians who can help you with an urgent problem. Usually, when an office number is dialed after-hours or on weekends, a telephone answering service will answer the call and help you reach the physician on call. Such calls should be limited to urgent problems. If your need (such as a prescription refill) can wait until the office opens, then avoid after-hour calls. If an urgent problem does develop after-hours, a call to your physician's office via the answering service may save you an unnecessary and expensive trip to the emergency room.

If you are seeing a physician for the first time, or if you are taking medicine prescribed by other physicians, keep a list of those medications and be prepared to discuss them. Take your medications as directed, even if you are feeling better. Know the danger signs of your medication; and if you experience problems, discuss them with the physician or the office staff as soon as possible.

Unexpected delays and emergencies for a physician are a fact of life, and they are frustrating for everyone concerned. If a delay in your appointment time would cause an inconvenience to you, let the office know this in advance by calling prior to your visit to determine if you will be seen at the appointed time. The office staff may be able to reschedule your appointment if the wait is extensive. If you cannot keep your appointment or if you are going to be late, let the office know as soon as possible. If it is after-hours, most physicians have answering services that can take a message concerning the need to cancel an appointment.

In most offices, when tests are ordered, the physician or office staff will tell you how and when the results will be reported. Procedures vary from office to office. Some do not report results for routine tests which are within normal limits. Also, sometimes test results ordered are not received by a physician. Make certain that you ask your doctor or the office staff about their policy for securing test results, and that you follow-up on important tests if you don't hear from the physician in a reasonable amount of time.

Once you have established yourself with a physician you like, work at developing good communication with doctor and his or her staff. Remember, communication is a two-way street. In many cases, a patient's complaint can be traced back to a dissatisfaction with a particular physician, office visit or to lack of communication between the patient and doctor (or office staff).

After your physician has given you advice concerning your medical care, you may hear different advice from other sources such as friends, relatives and the news media. If this concerns you, be sure to discuss it with your physician. Medicine is an ever-changing and complex field. The health advice you heard from others may not be applicable to your particular health situation. Your physician is the most knowledgeable in regards to your individual health condition. Voice your concerns directly and your physician will be able to provide an explanation and answer your questions.

Patients are encouraged to discuss the fees for the physician's services with the doctor or office staff. This is especially true when expensive procedures will be performed and in situations where the patient may be on a limited income or not fully covered by insurance. Patients should also understand the type and extent of their insurance coverage. Many offices are willing to submit claims on a patient's behalf to certain insurance companies. Some offices do not perform this service. Also, if you anticipate a change in your health insurance, you should check with your physician's office staff to confirm that the doctor accepts the new plan. Again, patients should discuss fees, insurance and billing practices as soon as possible or at the time they make their appointment.

December 2002
Adapted from San Francisco Medical Society

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