Medicines you're currently taking— including prescription, over-the-counter, herbal and supplements
Insurance cards
Prewritten questions on current health concerns
Paper or smartphone for taking notes
Call ahead or tell the front desk as soon as you arrive if you need language interpretation services. You can get free language services at all City-run hospitals and clinics.
If you feel uncomfortable with your doctor, or if you think your doctor is not responding to your concerns, consider finding a new provider.
In a study by Consumer Reports, doctors said that forming a long-term relationship with a primary-care physician is the most important thing a patient can do to obtain better medical care, with 76 percent saying it would help "very much."
Source: What Doctors Wish Their Patients Knew, March 2011 report from Consumer Reports for members of the National Business Group on Health