Your medical history is used to gather information about past medical conditions and your current medical condition. Details about symptoms you are currently experiencing and have experienced in the past are valuable to your doctor, who has the job of putting it all together. It's akin to assembling a jigsaw puzzle; with pieces of the puzzle in place, the picture becomes clearer. To obtain your medical history, you will likely be asked to fill out a questionnaire at your first appointment, and your doctor will ask you questions during each consultation.

Be Prepared for Questions

You will make the process easier for yourself and your doctor if you prepare ahead of time for some of the questions you will be asked. Having notes in hand can speed up the time it takes to fill out the written questionnaire. It's helpful for you to bring along:

• A list of medications and doses you are currently taking

• A list of medication allergies

• The names and contact information of other doctors you see, especially your primary doctor

• A list of prior surgeries

• Notes about medical conditions, past and present

During the consultation phase of your appointment, the questions your doctor asks will be based in part on the answers you provided on the written questionnaire. Your doctor will also ask more specific questions about symptoms. It is imperative that you give as much detail as possible and not conceal any symptoms you are experiencing. According to U.S. News & World Report, study results have shown that women with rheumatoid arthritis tend to downplay the severity of their symptoms when talking to doctors. Your doctor is likely to ask: how long you have had your current symptoms, if you have had a recent injury, if there is a pattern to when your symptoms occur or worsen, and how your symptoms limit your activities.

Stay on Topic

Most doctors are very busy. A good doctor tries to give ample time and attention to each individual patient, but you should realize that your doctor's time is valuable. You can help your doctor help you by staying on topic as you answer and ask questions. Don't hesitate to ask why something in your medical history is relevant, or inquire about anything you don't understand. Refrain from causing the conversation to drift; you have ground to cover and time is short.

Based on your answers, your doctor will formulate a preliminary diagnosis that may or may not be shared with you at this point. More information will be gathered from a physical examination and diagnostic tests.

Keep a Symptom Diary

At each subsequent visit to your doctor, you will be asked about your symptoms. You may be asked to rate your pain level on a 1-to-10 scale and about anything else your doctor should know, such as how you feel you are responding to prescribed treatments.

Doctor appointments may be closer together initially and spaced farther apart as a treatment plan is decided upon. It may become more difficult to recall symptom patterns or treatment side effects. To remember significant details, it may help you to keep a diary of symptoms or medical events. A diary may also help you and your doctor recognize patterns that are clinically significant.

Set up your diary to reflect the following: when you take your medications, how you feel each day or at specific times of day (include a pain scale), how you feel after taking medications or after any treatment, and how you feel after exercising or any other activity. It can also be helpful to include a description of sleep habits or patterns.

Your diary or journal will quickly become a daily habit. When you visit the doctor each time, you will have the information needed readily available. You will be able to relax and focus on what your doctor is telling you, rather than trying to remember what you need to tell your doctor.