| Walk With the Doc Knowing my patients are less likely to end up in the hospital with chest pain if they have regular exercise keeps me motivated to emphasize the importance of staying fit in as many creative ways as I can find. The advantages in gaining and keeping quality of life are numerous. Modest exercise can: • Reduce development of Alzheimer's by 58%. • Reduce hip fractures in women by 41%. • Reduce pain and disability from knee arthritis up to 47%. • Reduce heart attacks and strokes by up to 50% • Increases the good cholesterol (HDL), and lowers the bad (LDL). • Reduce onset of diabetes by 58% • Improve sleep, reduce anxiety by 48% and depression by 47% Exercise is the number one treatment for fatigue and a strategy for helping kick tobacco. Chemicals released in exercise hit the same receptors that nicotine stimulates and reduces cravings. Sure, I’ve got a pill for it. First I’d like you to try my special therapy. It’s called Walk With The Doc. Nancy Neighbors, MD How to Get More From Your Next Appointment Have you had the experience of forgetting something you planned to discuss with me until long after your appointment? It’s human nature to think of things we want to discuss and in the intervening time before an appointment either forget or dismiss the information as irrelevant. Often, that lost thought is important information. That’s why I encourage you to use the online questionnaire I offer. There is also a link to the questionnaire available in appointment reminders sent by email and text message. An alternate way to access your questionnaire is from the link provided for current patients on the home page at DocNeighbors.com. My questionnaire is designed to help you think about all of the things we need to talk about. Unlike most medical questionnaires it learns from you and adapts to suggest related issues you may need to consider discussing. The questionnaire begins by asking general questions. As you continue, the focus becomes more specific. By completing the questionnaire before your appointment, it helps assure that what you need to discuss gets covered. It also helps me eliminates conditions you probably don’t have so I can spend more time on your most important needs. The alternative is to spend more time asking routine questions during your appointment. I am a better doctor when I have more time to focus on what’s most important, time to listen, time to plan your care, and time to teach. While completing the questionnaire is optional, it often provides insights that help me help you. The online questionnaire also adds a level of safety to your care by gathering information suggested by specialist from almost every imaginable field of medicine. Like a pilot that walks around the airplane before every take off, the online questionnaire gives me an additional perspective for understanding your needs. As you begin the online questionnaire it will ask the reason for your appointment. You can choose from a list of common reasons or type a word that’s more specific like stomach, dizzy, fever, headache, cough, etc. If unsure what to enter, use the term “general exam.” Using the term “general exam” will create a longer questionnaire. However, there is value since your responses can prompt me to review information I may need prior to your appointment. Think of the questionnaire as having a panel of specialist from almost every medical specialty thoughtfully helping you remember information for your upcoming appointment. |