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Are You an Empowered Patient...or a Pain in the Neck?

By , About.com Guide

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Are You Going in to the Doctor With a Long List of Questions?

"Wait!" you say. "But this is something I SHOULD be doing, right?" Actually, yes. You do want to go to an appointment prepared. And even better, write up your questions (with a copy for your file, and a copy for your doctor, please!)

But remember that there's a limited amount of time during an appointment. Unless you are having a pricy two-hour consultation visit with a holistic practitioner where time is not an issue, the doctor may not get through the list, and may miss your most urgent questions.

A BETTER APPROACH? You should prioritize your questions, and limit them to the several critical questions you want to address during the appointment. Also, make sure the most important questions are first -- and not at the end of the list where they may not get covered.

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