Best Doctor for Chronic Illness in Maryland

There are several major chronic illnesses including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. While chronic illness is a very difficult thing to deal with, having a great doctor makes a world of difference. But how do you find the best doctors for chronic illness? Here’s a few tips to help you in your switch to a new doctor.

Requesting Your Records

Step one of finding a new doctor is to request paper copies of your medical record, and CDs of all your past lab tests, doctors’ notes, and images. It may be annoying to fill out the Record Releases again, some places even request that you type a personal letter to request these records, but it is worth the time and effort. Having these with you during each appointment will be handy, especially if a test result goes “missing” or you decide to get a second opinion. Organizing these records in separate binders, labeled by specialty will help your transition.

[Related: Primary Care for Diabetes]

Past and Current Medications

Write down, or type, a list of all the medications you have ever been on. Yes, really. Include information about your reactions, both positive and negative, to each medication. You should also include a list of any allergic reactions you have experienced. While it may take a long time, it is important to have accurate information when a new doctor asks if you have ever been on a certain drug. Having this list will make your appointments more efficient and your treatments more effective since you can easily refer to your list and eliminate the medications you have tried or reacted poorly too.

Practice Your Medical Storyline

Before you go to an appointment with a new doctor, practice telling your medical storyline. It can become very tedious to recount every single detail of the past years of your medical history. Try to focus on key symptoms and treatments from each specialty that have helped. This will help your doctor to focus on which issues concern them. In later appointments, they will likely ask more questions that reveal other problems as they become important.

[Related: Treating Heart Disease]

Open Communication

Explain to your doctor what you are looking for in your relationship. While it may seem intimidating at first, try to explain to your doctor how you understand your disease, and how you want to be involved in treatment decisions and what your goals are for treatment.

Setting Goals

You need to remember what you wan to achieve through your treatment and use this reminder to stay motivated and continue to educate yourself on what is happening with your body. You are your biggest ambassador in terms of your overall health and wellbeing. Educating yourself may be the key to finding a relationship with a doctor who has the specialty knowledge and experience necessary to provide the level of care you require.

Best Doctors for Chronic Illness

If you are searching for a provider to help treat and manage your chronic disease, please contact Bowie Internal Medicine today. Our providers have the patience, knowledge, skill, and compassion to offer you the best care.