Preparing for your visit

Short list. Each item saves time or improves the plan.

• Photo identification and your insurance card, if you have one.
• A complete medication and supplement list with doses.
• Reports or discs from prior endoscopy, imaging, or pH testing.
• Names and contact information for your primary care clinician and any specialists.
• Your written questions, in order of what matters most to you.

The first part is history. What the symptoms are, how long they have been happening, what has already been tried, and what has changed recently.

The second part is examination and review of any testing you bring. The third part is the discussion: what the likely cause is, what testing would clarify it, and what the treatment paths look like, including the option of doing nothing yet.

A second set of ears helps. People remember different parts of a medical conversation, and having someone to compare notes with afterward is genuinely useful.

Make sure you can answer three things on the way out: what the next step is, who is doing it, and when you should expect to hear something. If any of those is unclear, ask again before the visit ends.