Parents usually take care of all Children’s health aspectswhether by marking consultations, talking to the doctor or distributing prescribed medicines. Perhaps this works well – until the son leaves home to go to college or work and ends up in a prompt service in the middle of the night with strong flu symptoms or a broken wrist.
I estimate that 3.9 million students They form in high school in 2025, according to Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. From my experience, most of them are not ready to take care of their own health as adults.
Many of these graduates will join the 18.4 million students already in college in the semester of Spring. Almost 72% of college students say they have consulted a healthcare professional last year, according to Spring 2024 National College Health Assessment. So it is very likely that your also need to visit a doctor at some point.
Whether in college or not, your now adult child needs to learn the skills to assume the care of his own health. As a family doctor focused on the health of young adults, I want to share my recipe to deal with health at any age.
Prepare before going
Every consultation starts with the receptionist asking for your identification, health insurance card (if you have) and medical information. Keep photos from the front and back of your health card as favorites on your mobile phone.
Create an affordable file (such as a Google Doc) that lies all your medicines (with doses), allergies to drugs, medical problems and previous surgeries, family history and vaccine registration. (You can even load the physical card.)
Before delivering your card, think about those who pay the insurance. The policy holder (usually the father or guardian if you are) will receive a benefit extract, or EOB, after any consultation that uses the plan.
This is not an account, but an explanation of consultation costs. Diagnoses are not included, but EOB lists laboratory test names, procedures or care images. If a pregnancy exam, sexually transmitted diseases or drugs appear, your parents can make the connection.
And no, the doctor cannot label a chlamydia exam as a “inflamed throat test.” This is insurance fraud. If you are concerned that your parents know the reason for your consultation, consider going to a public clinic or students with reduced rates for non -insurance care.
Universities almost always have free or low cost clinics for STDs for their students.
Start with your biggest concern
Why did you make this appointment? Patients often expect the doctor to be almost going out to say their real problem, which is usually a delicate or taking time, such as wanting to start contraceptive, having intense cramps, or worry about pregnancy or STDs. Or maybe you have a mental health problem such as insomnia, anxiety, depression or dependence.
With consultations today limited to 10 or 15 minutes, you and your doctor want to make the most of the time together. Start by talking about your main problem, even if it seems strange or embarrassing. Trust me, the doctor has heard everything before and wants the maximum time to help you.
Ask “What now?” before leaving
In my experience, factor # 1 in patient dissatisfaction is not understanding what to do if the problem gets worse or not improving. Never leave the room without asking, “Now what?”
Clarify when and how you will receive the test results: what to do if you have a bad reaction or not improve; What deadline is reasonable to expect improvement; and how to communicate back your doubts (usually through the patient’s online portal).
A lot of people tell me they went to the doctor, received recipe, therapy or exams that did not help or did not identify the problem. When I ask what they said in the return, I realize that they never came back or communicated with the office.
We joke that it is the “practice of medicine”, but the truth is that our initial diagnosis or treatment is not always right. We always have a plan B, C and D. Your doctor cannot know that you have not improved if not counting. Please follow up.
Surprise with the price of the medicine? Speak!
Your doctor does not know the personal cost of your medicine unless you pay in cash and do not use safe, and we are not good to guess. Only 1 in 5 doctors properly predicted the costs of his patients, according to Jama’s 2021 investigation.
If you seek the drug in the pharmacy to find out that you are very expensive, you have options. Ask if there is a generic equivalent and, if any, ask the pharmacy to talk to your doctor to a cheaper alternative. (The pharmacist may ask you to call, but usually does it.)
Never hesitate to speak! Doctors may find that an old generic is cheap, but health plans can make this option expensive.
Ask renewals before the medicine is over
If your doctor prescribed renewal medicine, do not expect to finish the last tablet to ask for another recipe. Pharmacies may take days to renew, so when removing the recipe, put a reminder on your phone to order the next refill at least three days before the deadline.
Remedies for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have had delays due to the need for medical approval, increased demand, production delays and lack of inventory. In 2023, more than 7 out of 10 adults in the US who take ADHD stimulating medications had trouble getting the recipe, according to CDC 2024 data.
Repeated questions? Don’t be surprised
I apologize advanced: I know it’s annoying to answer the same questions several times, personally and online. Know that this is not questioning your answers, but ensuring that the consultation focus on the main problem.
First, repeating questions creates a security network, because consistency helps to avoid errors. Second, answers change because nerve patients may vary which they say as they advance care. Third, when the doctor is late, it may be faster to ask the patient directly than reading reception and assistant notes.
Parents: Stop trying to control the consultation
Parents should not say, “Go take antibiotics for this cough you have for a month” or “you need x-ray on your ankle or head tomography.” This does not help. Almost half of US adults find it difficult to pay health care, according to KFF, but patients continue to require treatments, examinations and procedures that are not needed according to evidence -based guidelines.
Most respiratory diseases and post-viral coughs do not improve with antibiotics (because they are not caused by bacteria), and most “twisted ankles” do not need x-ray. No problem encouraging your teenager or young adult to go to the doctor, but please do not create firm expectations about diagnosis or treatment unless you are a health professional too.
Practical, practice, practice
Taking care of your own health does not mean knowing everything before you see the doctor, but being prepared, talking and asking the right questions about follow -up helps a lot to have better service. Learning these important skills requires practice to be comfortable at any age, but this helps turn intimidating medical appointments into more efficient, productive and less stressful visits.
