Welcome back to Mount Sinai Queens’ brand new blog featuring useful news and tips to help you lead a healthier life. I am Dr. Sarah Van Wagner, a board-certified family medicine physician who works at Mount Sinai Queens’ Steinway Medical Group. Please remember that this information is not a substitute for direct medical advice.
Start with your reason for the visit – write it down and bring it with you. You will often see a medical assistant before you see the doctor. This person may ask about the reason for your visit. Don’t assume the reason was communicated. By stating your reason to both the doctor and the medical assistant, you are all in agreement for why you are there. Whether you say, “I haven’t been to the doctor for a long time and I need a checkup,” or “my kids have strep throat and now I have a sore throat and fever,” agreement on the reason for the visit is a strong start. Think ahead of time about what will leave you feeling highly satisfied after the visit. Let the doctor know this too!
Mount Sinai Queens utilizes an electronic medical record (EMR) for hospitalized patients and in many of its physician practices. For practices that use the EMR, your health history, family medical history, medication history and more will be at the fingertips of your health care providers. Information from other physicians in the Mount Sinai system will also be readily available. If your doctor does not use an electronic medical record and if you have seen physicians outside of that health system, update your doctor on all the other providers you have seen and any new medications you are taking. Mount Sinai’s electronic record has MyChart which allows you to access your lab and imaging results, get prescriptions renewed and communicate with your physician.
In addition to writing down the reason for your visit, make a list of questions that you would like to have answered – put the most important questions at the top of the list. Open communication with your doctor will help him/her help you.
Thanks for joining me. Please post your questions and comments; I will be reviewing them frequently. My next entry will focus on Understanding Test Results.