5 Ways to Get More From Your Next Doctor's Appointment
Practical tips for preparing for medical appointments, asking better questions, and making sure nothing important gets forgotten.
Whether you’re seeing your GP for a routine check-up or meeting a specialist for the first time, a little preparation goes a long way. Here are five practical strategies we’ve learned from talking to thousands of patients during Seenly’s early access period.
1. Write down your symptoms before you go
It sounds obvious, but most people don’t do it. And when you’re sitting in the consulting room, it’s easy to forget the thing that’s been bothering you for weeks.
Keep a simple timeline: when did the symptom start, has it changed, what makes it better or worse? Doctors find this incredibly helpful because it gives them context they’d otherwise spend time extracting through questions.
Seenly’s symptom timeline feature was built specifically for this — it guides you through the key details so you arrive with a clear, organised picture.
2. Know your current medications
Every appointment, you’ll be asked what you’re taking. Every appointment, most of us fumble through a half-remembered list. Keep an up-to-date medication list with dosages, and review it before each visit.
This is especially important if you see multiple doctors, as medication interactions are one of the most common sources of preventable medical problems.
3. Prepare your questions in advance
Think about what you want to walk out knowing. Write your questions down and put the most important ones first — appointments can run shorter than expected, and you want to make sure the critical questions get asked.
Consider questions like:
- What are the possible side effects of this treatment?
- Are there alternative approaches?
- What should I watch for that would mean I need to come back sooner?
- How will we know if the treatment is working?
4. Bring someone with you (or record the conversation)
A second pair of ears makes a significant difference. If you can’t bring someone, consider recording the appointment — many doctors are fine with this when you ask permission. Having a record to refer back to means you can focus on the conversation rather than trying to memorise everything.
This is exactly why we built Seenly’s recording feature. One tap to start, and you have a complete record you can review later.
5. Review and act within 24 hours
The information from your appointment is most useful when you act on it quickly. Review your notes (or your Seenly summary) within a day. Book any follow-up appointments, fill prescriptions, and note any monitoring tasks on your calendar.
The gap between “I should do that” and “I did that” is where good healthcare intentions go to fade. Close that gap while the appointment is fresh.
These aren’t revolutionary ideas — they’re practical habits that compound over time. The patients who consistently prepare for their appointments report feeling more confident, more heard, and more in control of their health journey. That’s the outcome we’re building towards with Seenly.