Lesson 7 of 7 · about 16 minutes

After the visit, video visits, and your own plan

We’ve covered getting ready, telling your story, asking questions, and talking through options. This last lesson covers two things that often get less attention, what happens after you leave and how to prepare for a telehealth visit, and then gives you space to reflect and make a plan that fits you.

Part 1: After the visit

The visit doesn’t really end when you walk out the door. A few small steps afterward can help the plan stick.

• Review your notes the same day. NIH suggests taking notes during the visit and using them when you prepare for follow-up visits. Reading them while things are fresh helps you fill gaps.
• Look at written instructions. MedlinePlus encourages asking for written instructions. If something is unclear once you’re home, that’s a perfectly good reason to reach out.
• Know how test results will reach you. Before you leave, it helps to ask, “How and when will I get my results?” NIH and MedlinePlus both encourage learning how to access your records so you can follow results and your treatment plan.
• Use your online health portal if you have one. Many people can view results, notes, and immunizations there. HealthIT.gov explains that you have a right to access your health information, and that electronic access is usually free.
• Know how to reach your care team. NIH suggests asking for your clinician’s contact information and preferred way to be reached. Your pharmacist is also a great resource for medicine questions.
• Put follow-up on the calendar. Write down any follow-up appointments, tests, or check-in dates.

Sometimes results show up in the portal before anyone has explained them. That can feel unsettling. It’s okay to send a message asking what a result means for you, or to wait for your clinician’s explanation if that feels better.

Part 2: Getting ready for a telehealth visit

Telehealth can save travel and time, and it’s become a regular part of care. The National Institute on Aging offers these tips:

1. Put the appointment on your calendar.
2. Use the best camera you have available.
3. Practice ahead, perhaps with a friend, and test the sound and video on your device.
4. Use the best internet connection possible.
5. Make sure your device is charged enough to last the whole appointment.
6. Find a quiet space and adjust the lighting so you can be seen clearly.
7. Set your device on a stable surface with your head and shoulders in the camera frame.
8. Make a list of what you want to talk about.

Everything else from this course still applies: your ranked concerns, medicine list, symptom timeline, and questions. A few extras from my own experience: keep your medicine bottles within reach, have a pen and paper ready, and know a phone number to call if the video drops. If a support person is joining, decide ahead of time whether they’ll sit with you or join from another location.

Part 3: Reflection

Take a few quiet minutes with these prompts. There are no right answers, and you can write as much or as little as you like. You can use the printable worksheet attached to this lesson (look for the download under Lesson Materials / Attachments) to write your answers and keep your plan in one place.

Looking back

• Think about a visit that felt good. What made it feel that way?
• Think about a visit where you left with unanswered questions. What, if anything, might have helped? (This isn’t about fault. Visits are complicated, and lots of things shape how they go.)

What matters to me

• When I think about my health right now, what matters most to me?
• What would I most like to be able to keep doing, or get back to doing?
• What tends to make it hard for me to speak up? What might make it a little easier?

My tools

• Which tools from this course feel most useful to me: the prep worksheet, symptom timeline, Ask Me 3, teach-back, BRAN, a decision aid, the Ottawa guide?
• Who, if anyone, would I like with me at visits? What role would I like them to play?

My next step

• Is there a visit I’ve been putting off, or a question I’ve been meaning to ask? What’s one small step I can take this week?
• Am I due to talk about preventive care, like screenings or vaccines? MyHealthfinder can help me build a list to bring.

A closing note from me

Thank you for spending this time with me. I hope this course has made the idea of preparing for visits feel a little lighter. You don’t have to do everything here every time. Even one change, like ranking your concerns or asking “What if I do nothing?”, can shift how a conversation feels.

You know your life, your body, and your values better than anyone. Bringing that knowledge into the room is what helps you and your clinician find the plan that fits.

If something can’t wait

For warning signs like chest pain or discomfort lasting two minutes or more, trouble breathing, bleeding that won’t stop, sudden severe pain, or being unable to speak, call 911. If you or someone you love is in emotional crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Sources

• Talking With Your Doctor (NIH Clear Communication)
• Talking With Your Doctor (MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine)
• Get It: Your Right to Access Your Health Information (HealthIT.gov, ONC)
• Telehealth: What Is It, How To Prepare, Is It Covered? (National Institute on Aging)
• MyHealthfinder (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, HHS)
• Recognizing Medical Emergencies (MedlinePlus)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

This reflection is for your own learning and planning. It isn’t a substitute for care, so please share your plan and questions with your own healthcare professional.

Something here not seem right? Report a concern privately to the Poéma team.