How to get the most from a 15-minute GP consult
Bring a list, bring your medicines, and say the most important thing first. A short guide for patients (and a reminder for clinicians). Sample article.
Sample article for the practice shelf of this journal. Written for patients on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, and as a reminder for those of us who run the clock.
Fifteen minutes is both a long time and no time at all. A good consult is not magic. It is a small amount of preparation meeting a doctor who is trying to hear the real problem before the door handle turns.
Before you arrive
- Write a list. Circle the one thing that cannot wait. Tell us that first — not at minute fourteen.
- Bring the boxes. Every tablet, inhaler, cream, and "only when I need it" supplement. Photos of boxes are fine; memory is not.
- Bring numbers. Blood pressure log, sugar meter, peak flow, a period diary, a photo of the rash on day two. The rash on day seven has often gone on holiday.
- Know your dates. When did this start? What have you already tried? What happened last time?
If you need forms, medicals, or a procedure, say so when you book. Reception can protect the right kind of time.
In the room
Say the worrying sentence out loud. "I am here because I am scared this headache is something serious" is more useful than a tour of the sinuses. We can still examine the sinuses.
It is allowed to have more than one issue. It is also allowed that we will not finish all of them today. We will name what is left and book it, rather than squash four problems into one unsafe hurry.
Medicare, time, and honesty
Longer consults exist. Complex care exists. What does not exist is a hidden extra 20 minutes inside every standard booking. If your GP looks at the clock, they are trying not to steal the next person's slot — not trying to be unkind.
Scripts, referrals, and results sometimes are the consult. Sometimes they are the first two minutes and the real question is underneath. Point at the underneath.
For clinicians
- Agenda-set in the first minute. "What is the most important thing today?"
- One new problem + two quick admin items is a different shape from three new problems.
- Safety-net in language a tired person can remember: what to watch for, when to come back, when to go to ED.
This journal is not an emergency service. Chest pain, stroke symptoms, anaphylaxis, suicidal crisis — 000, emergency department, or Lifeline 13 11 14.
Sample article — Dr Kotha Journal, Gold Coast / Brisbane.