Читать книгу The Small Guide to Alzheimer's Disease - Gary Small - Страница 17

Visiting the doctor can be quite an anxiety-provoking experience. This is especially true when people are concerned that the diagnosis may be one that will have a negative prognosis, such as Alzheimer’s disease. That anxiety can distract patients and family members to the point that they often forget important questions they wanted to ask during the appointment.

It’s a good idea, therefore, to write out your questions in advance of the appointment with the doctor so you are sure to cover all the points that you wish to address. It’s also helpful to bring in a summary of the patient’s medical history. In order for doctors to summarize the patient’s problems, they generally follow a systematic approach. Knowing this system that doctors use to organize their notes (see box) can help you prepare for their needs.

Information Contained in Doctor’s Notes

 • Chief complaint. Main symptom(s) of concern to the patient/family

 • History of present illness. An account of the timeline and nature of the current illness

 • Past history. A summary of previous relevant illnesses, both general medical issues and neuropsychiatric conditions

 • Educational and social history. A review of accomplishments and challenges

 • Risk factors and protective factors. Smoking, alcohol, head trauma history; exercise, diet, psychological stressors; and other relevant lifestyle habits

 • Review of systems. A check of different body organs and systems (eyes, lower-body function [i.e., gait], lungs, heart, etc.)

 • Pertinent medical history and medications. These details sometimes shed light on physical conditions that can impair cognition

 • Physical, neurological, and mental exam results, previous test and scan results. The doctor’s summary of the findings from the evaluation procedures and medical record

 • Impression. The diagnostic impressions listed by the doctor

 • Treatment plan. The doctor’s itemized plan, including need for more testing, medication interventions, and nonpharmacological strategies