6 Tips to Prepare For Your First Visit With A Foot & Ankle Specialist

Odds are you’ve gone to a primary care provider in the past if you broke a bone or came down with a cold, but not everyone is familiar with visiting a specialist for an ailment that requires a deeper understanding of certain conditions and their treatments. It’s not entirely different from a standard appointment with a primary care physician, but at the same time, there are some things you’ll want to do ahead of time to prepare for your specialist appointment. In today’s blog, we share some tips for preparing for your first visit with a foot and ankle specialist.

6 Tips For Preparing For Your First Foot and Ankle Consultation

Here are six things you can do to make your first visit with a foot and ankle specialist run smoothly.

• Fill Out Forms – Patients are required to fill out a few forms before they see a specialist. To keep appointments and schedules on time, we ask that you fill these out prior to your visit. Filling these out on your own time also helps you from feeling rushed if you’re trying to complete them on the day of your appointment.
• Bring Your Insurance Info and Driver’s License – The new patient forms ask for some of your insurance information, but it will also be helpful to have your card when checking in for your appointment. Be sure to bring your insurance card or insurance information to your first appointment, as well as your driver’s license or ID card.
• Imaging Results – If you had imaging tests taken by another provider, see if you can obtain a copy and bring this with you to your first appointment. The first provider may also be able to forward your results to our clinic if you reach out. A simple call to the clinic at which the imaging tests were taken can help with this step.
• Be On Time – We want to give each patient all the time they need to have their questions and concerns addressed, and that’s easiest when the patient is available when the specialist is ready. We do our best to keep to a schedule, and we ask that you help us by being on time for your appointment. Considering that you have to check in and provide some information, it’s often best if you can arrive 10-15 minutes early for your appointment.
• Don’t Be Afraid To Reschedule – Instead of running late or showing up without imaging tests or relevant insurance information, don’t be afraid to reschedule your appointment. All we ask is that you give us at least 24 hours notice so we can adjust our schedule and try to fill your slot. This way we can help as many people as possible. It’s not an issue as long as you give us as big of a heads up as possible, and we’ll still work to see you as soon as possible. We may even be able to reschedule you in a different cancellation spot, which is all the more reason to call and give us a heads up about your schedule change.
• Be Willing To Help – Finally, we’ve found that we can best help patients who are engaged in the appointment and really want to find a solution to their foot or ankle pain. Before your visit, think about some of the answers to questions that will likely come up, like how did symptoms first develop, where and when does it hurt, and what you’ve already tried in terms of treatment. This conversation should be two-way in nature, as we can better get to the heart of your issue and how to best treat it if you help provide us with some basic answers. Give some thought to what might be asked at this first appointment, and be descriptive when talking about your injury. It could end up making all the difference!