Tips for Making Every Doctor’s Visit Count When You Have Cold Agglutinin Disease

Effectively managing cold agglutinin disease (CAD) can be challenging.

Here are five tips for making the most of your doctor visits:

What’s changed since the last appointment?

What have you noticed since your last appointment? Do you have new symptoms? Has a change in medication helped, or have there been side effects that you have questions about?

Make a list of your concerns before the appointment, so you can get all your questions answered in a single visit.

Keep good records

Collect all your medical records in a single location. Keep them together and take them with you when you go to an appointment.

It is also a good idea to keep health insurance information with your medical records, along with a list of current medications and supplements. For each medication or supplement, keep track of how often you take it and the dosage.

Have a plan for the appointment

What are your goals for the visit? Do you need to discuss symptoms, concerns, a medication change? Make a plan for the appointment — what do you need to discuss? Refer to your plan during the visit to ensure that all of your goals for the appointment are accomplished.

Record your appointment

Even when everything goes according to plan, doctor’s visits can move very quickly and small details are easy to miss. Use an app on your phone or other devices to record what the doctor says. Make sure to get your doctor’s permission before you start recording.

Update your treatment plan

At the end of every appointment, ask the doctor to review your treatment plan — a detailed package containing information about CAD, treatment options, the goals of treatment, and potential side effects and concerns.

Update your treatment plan after every appointment, and refer to it when necessary. Make notes in your treatment plan between appointments about anything you want to bring up at the next visit.

Last updated: Aug. 6, 2019

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Cold Agglutinin Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.