Lack of time, medical jargon and nervousness: why should you prepare for your doctor's appointment?

First, you wait weeks for your appointment, then, once you're there, the minutes fly by at breakneck speed and you don't even have time to ask all your questions. A doctor's appointment can raise many uncertainties: the pressure of time in the doctor's surgery and the nervousness linked to your symptoms mean that you often don't know any more after the long-awaited appointment, and so your ailments are unlikely to improve.

Good preparation can help you arrive at the appointment in a structured way and leave the doctor's surgery with all the information you need. Dr Stefan Portmann from the Unimedica practice in Ruswil, a member of the Association of Lucerne Family Doctors takes a look at what's important at a doctor's appointment. You'll find out what good preparation can look like and see just how useful digital health apps can be.

Preparing for your doctor's appointment: why is it important?

Since the pandemic, Swiss GP practices have been under pressure. In 2022, requests for appointments have quadrupled compared with the pre-Covid era. This is according to a report published in the Swiss Doctors' Bulletin. Anamnesis, diagnosis and therapeutic interviews must nevertheless be conducted properly.

Staff and patients are more tense: the sterile setting, the atmosphere of the practice, the technical terms and above all the lack of time can destabilise. "A visit to the doctor is tantamount to a test of resistance," confirms Dr Portmann. "At that point, the memory is often unable to retrieve information or questions we wanted to ask."

Good preparation will therefore help you to support the doctor in his in-depth history-taking and subsequent treatment, and reduce your uncertainties.

Preparation: when is it particularly important?

You can ask the medical team beforehand what information they will need. As a general rule, Dr Portmann advises writing down important things, such as any medication you are taking. Is there a family medical history? Any allergies or intolerances? What questions do you really want to ask at the appointment? And above all: why are you consulting?

Good preparation is always useful. However, there are situations in which it is particularly important. It's not just a question of answering your questions, knowing your family history or being able to describe your symptoms precisely. For example, during important appointments, when specific examinations are scheduled. Dr Portmann says: "Certain ultrasound scans must be carried out on an empty stomach and, depending on the blood, urine or stool tests planned, the patient must give up certain daily activities or the ingestion of certain foods and also not take certain medications."

People suffering from chronic illnesses or several illnesses are advised to be well prepared.

For a clear diagnosis: name the symptoms correctly

"First of all, we want to get the best possible description of symptoms," explains the expert. For an accurate entry, he asks his patients to describe the "seven dimensions of symptoms". These include questions such as: are you in pain? Is it throbbing, poignant or radiating? Is the pain continuous or does it occur at certain times? What relieves or increases it? "We prefer to have a description of the symptoms without lengthy attempts at explanation or interpretation by the patients themselves."

So write down your symptoms as descriptively as possible and bring your notes on a piece of paper to your appointment. What's more, it will help your doctor if you "prioritise the symptoms" beforehand. In other words, what are your most acute problems at the moment? This is important for patients with several symptoms: "We can't always discuss all the symptoms during the medical consultation," explains the family doctor. "If prioritisation has taken place beforehand, it's easier for us to clarify and deal effectively with one or two problems during the appointment."

Dr Google: how useful is self-diagnosis on the internet?

With your list of medicines, notes and questions, description of symptoms and notes on medical history, you're already well prepared. For many, however, it's tempting to look up the symptoms on the internet yourself beforehand. Dr Portmann is used to working with Dr Google: "I always ask patients if they've done any research on the Internet. In this way, I can assess the need for information, the explanations the patient has already found and the importance they attach to certain points."

Whether self-diagnosis beforehand is a good thing is a matter of personality, he added. People who worry easily and are highly anxious would do better not to touch symptom finding, as "information often only increases worry and anxiety."

The situation is different for people with a fundamentally positive attitude who can categorise information on the internet accordingly: "I've already seen that information given by the patient on the internet was useful in getting to the diagnosis more quickly."

As a general rule, only consult serious sources and official specialist sites, such as the Federal Office of Public Health or your health insurance website.

Digital for health: the usefulness of apps

Digital health apps are also conquering the Swiss market. They aim to simplify the healthcare system and make prevention easier for patients. App Well is one such app: it aims to digitally link patients, doctors' surgeries, pharmacies and health insurance companies.

To achieve this, the app offers a range of innovative features: you can book appointments with participating doctors' surgeries via the app, use the 24-hour chat facility with a doctor, talk to advisers from the Medi24 medicalMedi24 emergency medical assistance advisers during a telemedicine session, receive e-prescriptions on your mobile phone or seriously clarify symptoms. According to the operators, the app has a five-figure user base and more than 4,000 doctors, and is available to people domiciled in Switzerland.

The offer is only chargeable to participating health insurance companies, with use of the app being free for patients. Dr Portmann is very familiar with the app. According to him, "it is a great help for patients and simplifies the healthcare system". The app is said to be useful for users when no medical staff are available: "Questions that arise during use can then be discussed with the doctor."However, the expert warns: "Anything outside the scope of the application should be taken with caution."The app cannot replace the regular check-up appointment at the doctor's surgery or the medical interview with the family doctor in the event of illness.