Getting the Most From Your Specialty Care Visit

One of the keys to maintaining and improving your health is being able to communicate with your healthcare providers and their staff to get the most out of your visits. But it isn’t always easy. Sometimes you don’t know the specialist whom you’ve been referred to, and he or she may not know you or why you’ve been referred. Everybody’s time is limited, and to get the best care, you and your practitioners need as much information as possible.

Dean’s research with patients and practitioners has shown many of the same experiences — good and bad — in coordinating the care you need and expect. Patients have told us about frustrations when they are sent to see a specialist, including:

• Feeling frustrated when specialists “don’t know who they are or why they’re being seen”
• “Wasted visits,” when lab and other diagnostic tests needed for the specialist appointment are not ready
• Feeling lost in a large and complex healthcare system

Healthcare practitioners know you want answers to your healthcare concerns and may feel many of the same frustrations when they are unable to give you the care you need. In our interviews with practitioners, nurses and clinic staff, they shared their knowledge of how to get the most from specialty care visits. Here are some suggestions of things you need to know.

Why Am I Being Referred?

When you are referred to a specialist, your healthcare practitioner should discuss the following issues to help you better understand what to expect:

• The specific reason for the referral. It is important that you now the purpose of the specialty visit, whether it is for further testing, consultation or treatment of your condition. Your referring practitioner should be able to tell you the specific reason for your referral and give this information directly to the specialist before your visit.
• What to expect from the specialty visit. Will the specialist be reviewing test results and performing exams to diagnose your condition? Is he or she confirming your referring practitioner’s diagnosis? Will he or she be recommending a treatment plan or taking over treatment of your condition?
• An acceptable time frame for your appointment with the specialist. Some illnesses and conditions require urgent attention, and your referring practitioner’s office will help you arrange a prompt appointment. In other cases, it is more appropriate to schedule an office visit at your convenience that allows enough time for the specialist to accommodate your appointment. You may need additional tests before seeing the specialist. Your referring practitioner can clarify what is best in your situation. The clinic staff will help you make the necessary appointments.
• What you should do if problems arise before the specialty visit. Ask whom you should contact at your referring practitioner’s office. The specialist you see may want youto explain the reason for your visit. This does not mean that he or she is unprepared for your visit. On the contrary, it’s a part of the assessment process to allow you to communicate how your illness or condition affects you and why the visit is important to you. It may be helpful for you to share the specific reason for the referral and the expectations you discussed with your referring practitioner.

The Next Steps

During and after your visit, the specialist should discuss the following issues so that you can better understand what he or she has learned:

• The findings and recommendations for treatment and follow-up care. It is important that you know and understand treatment recommendations so that you can consider your options. The specialist will be communicating this information back to your referring practitioner, too.
• What to expect for treatment and follow-up care. This includes finding out who will be providing the treatment and when. What can you reasonably expect from the treatment, and how long will that take?
• Whom you should be following up with. Is the specialist providing or coordinating the treatment and follow-up, or will you return to your referring practitioner? You may be sent back to the referring practitioner because the problem is outside the specialist’s field. In that case, he or she may include a recommendation for further consultations, or the staff may help make those appointments.
• What the specialist will be communicating with your referring practitioner. It is important to make sure that your practitioners communicate with each other. Also ask the specialist what you should be discussing with your referring practitioner.

These are just a few suggestions that can help you get more from your specialty care visits. Referring practitioners, specialists, nurses and office staff can help you get the care and treatment you need to improve and maintain your health.

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