A Medical Assistant will contact you and will send you a packet of information and forms to complete and return to our office before your first visit. These items are important as they prepare us for your appointment. If you have any questions prior to your appointment, the Medical Assistant will be happy to assist you.

When you first visit our office, we will compile a complete medical history and conduct a full physical examination as we do for all new patients. This process may duplicate some of the procedures you may have undergone with another physician; however, our physicians look for unique and specific data, which we must know and enter in your permanent records in our office. Please help us as much as possible by giving us complete information.

Please print and complete the personal medication form and the new patient form and bring them with you to your first visit.

As providers, we are committed to being active participants in your healthcare; likewise, it’s important for you to be active in your healthcare, too! By mutually taking a pro-active approach, you and your physicians will be able to discuss your options based on complete information and choose the path that best suits your needs. Below are some tips for getting the best results from every visit:

Talking With Your Doctor

It’s important to share all of the medical information you can with your doctor, so that the decisions you make with your physicians are based on complete and honest information. Please be prepared to give us background on your current and past medical problems and procedures, even if you find some things embarrassing to share. Although some details may be seemingly unimportant, they may have bearing on your evaluation. Below are some things to consider before your appointment:

• What are your symptoms? Tell us everything, even if you do not think something is important.
• Tell us about your health history. Often, having a timeline of your health history — sort of like a resume — is helpful. A “health resume” keeps all of your information in order, so you can update it as you receive care. You may even want to provide a copy for key players: for instance, a family member or close friend who is involved in your care. Please include conditions, procedures, emergencies, care providers and approximate dates.
• Tell us about any allergies, reactions or side effects you have had to your medicines.
• Do you take any vitamins, supplements, or over-the-counter medications? Do you participate in any alternative treatments or take any alternative medicines?
• Bring other medical information or medical records with you. For instance, have you recently had any procedures, diagnostic imaging (i.e. xrays, CT scans, PET scans, etc.), or tests?

If you find it necessary to make notes on such information, please bring your notes with you.

Asking Questions

Please do not hesitate to ask questions or have an open dialogue with your doctors. If you do not understand something, ask your doctor to explain it to you, otherwise they may assume that you understand.

• Ask for another explanation every time you do not understand something.
• Keep a running list of questions or concerns that you may have and bring them with you at the time of your visit. Having a list gives you the opportunity to ask all of the questions you’ve been thinking about and gives your physician the opportunity to attend to your needs. You may want to leave room on your page between questions so you may make notes regarding the answers during your appointment.
• If you have some questions that are more important to you than others, ask those questions first so that we can give priority to your greatest concerns.
• If you have questions that arise during your visit, make a short note on your list so you can remember to ask the question.
• Bring a family member or friend along to your appointment. Often it helps to have another person with you to help listen, take notes and remember answers.

If you find it necessary to make notes on such information, please bring your notes with you.

Taking Information Home

Taking information home with you is a great way to refresh the information and instructions you receive while you are in our office. If you take written information home, you may reference it at any time, as opposed to memory where the details may not be as clear. Listed below are types of information you can take with you:

• Notes you have taken during your appointment. Writing down the information your doctors give you is absolutely acceptable and encouraged. If you are concerned that it may be difficult to absorb the information while you write, bring a relative or a friend to help transcribe the information, so you may focus on listening.
• If the instructions you receive are unclear, ask for written instructions.
• Brochures and other educational materials are readily available in our office. If you are interested in reading more about your condition, what to expect or about community resources, ask our nursing department or social worker for some literature. If you are entering a clinical trial, ask our research team for literature to review.

Following Up

If you have questions about your care, prescriptions, or symptoms, call our main line 502.895.2295. We may need to return your call as soon as a nurse or physician is available to help. When you talk with the nurse or physician, please give as much detail as possible.

If you need to talk with someone about your follow-up appointment(s), call our main line 502.895.2295.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you have an emergency, call our main line 502.895.2295, give the patient services operator as much detail as possible and proceed to an emergency room.

Our appointments are made several weeks ahead and we schedule an appropriate amount of time for the doctor’s examination and treatment. If there are any particular conflicts in your schedule which will help us select a better time for you, please let us know. Our appointment schedule is varied due to surgery schedules Monday through Friday.

Occasionally events occur which will make it necessary for you to cancel and reschedule your appointment. Please let us know as far in advance as possible so that we can reschedule at a date and time convenient to you. Early cancellations will allow us to give another patient your time.

Please bring your medications or a list of your medications with you to your appointments. In most cases our doctors must prescribe medicines to help you with your condition. In order to prescribe medications as safely as possible, it is important for us to know the type and dosage of each medication so that your prescriptions do not adversely interact. By bringing your medications with you, we may collect precise information from the indications listed on the prescription bottles.

Please follow prescription directions very carefully. Unless instructed otherwise, finish the entire dosage given to you. Should the instructions not be clear to you, please check with us to make certain that you are following the physician’s instructions.

Prescription refills will be handled by telephone during office hours. No narcotic refills will be handled on weekends.

To request a refill for a prescription, call our main line 502.895.2295.

It is extremely important that our records be kept up-to-date regarding your present address, telephone number, employment, and health insurance coverage. Please cooperate by notifying us promptly of any changes to the aforementioned information.

Likewise, if you have health insurance, please be sure that we get complete details regarding your coverage, group number and subscriber number. Also, please notify us if any of your information changes.

If you have disability coverage requiring periodic claims, please be certain to complete your portion of the claim fully each time. Some commercial insurance companies require a referral from your primary care physician each time you are seen by a specialist. You are responsible for getting these referrals.

Like your health information, your financial affairs are held in the strictest confidence by this office.

The new federal guidelines that further protect the privacy of medical information are part of the comprehensive Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. These rules, which became effective in April of 2003, give patients more control over and knowledge about who is using their medical information and for what purpose.

We have always considered patients’ privacy a paramount priority; however, HIPAA has set broader standards and has applied them to hospitals, health-care providers, and insurers nationwide.

Patients at Baptist Health Medical Group Thoracic Surgery will receive, in person or by mail, a copy of our privacy notice. It describes how medical information about a patient may be used, and how one may access this information.

A dedicated nurse navigator is available to help guide patients on a one-on-one basis through the journey from diagnosis to treatment. The nurse navigator is a specially trained nurse who helps:

Coordinate various tests and appointments with physicians

Schedule the multidisciplinary conference

Serve as a resource for education and support throughout the diagnostic and treatment process

The idea is to extend a helping hand to patients who may be feeling really overwhelmed. The goal is to successfully guide them through the system, be a resource to patients and let them know what to expect during hospitalization and treatment.

The Multidisciplinary Lung Care Clinic is a valuable service for lung cancer patients, providing convenient access to the comprehensive care and resources available at Baptist Health Louisville.

For more information, call 502.896.3008 to reach the nurse navigator.