Issue 02 — The four-minute visit, and how to make it count

One idea

In many systems, the average patient gets a few minutes per visit. You can't change the clock, but you can change what those minutes are spent on. Preparation moves the time from "reconstructing your history" to "deciding what to do about it."

One story

A reader wrote in about handing over a single index card with three lines: what's new, what's worse, what she most wanted answered. "For the first time," she said, "we got to the third line."

One thing to try

Before your next appointment, write the one question you'd most regret not asking. Put it at the top of the page. If nothing else gets covered, that does.