How to Keep Medical Appointments kwa Kiswahili

#healthcare #doctor #appointment
What happens if You Miss Appointments?
In the United States, it’s important for all people to go to their scheduled medical appointments on time. If you are late or miss too many appointments, your healthcare provider may:
Charge a fee. This is called a “no show fee.”
Stop scheduling future appointments with you.
Stop your health treatments, like physical therapy or medications. If they stop your medication or therapy, your medical problems will get worse.
Keep your Appointments
To keep your appointments you can:
Use a calendar, either a paper one or one on your phone. Bring the calendar to your appointment and with the doctor, mark your next appointment on it. write the day and time on a piece of paper and put it in a place where you can always see it, like your fridge or bathroom mirror. “Doctor, May 1 at 1pm”
Set a reminder on your phone for the day before or early in the morning the day of your appointment. Ask a friend or family member to teach you how to do this.
Plan ahead and set specific times for your medical appointments. Maybe you have appointments on a certain day of the week, like Tuesdays.
If you are comfortable with your phone, check to see if your doctor uses an app to schedule appointments and make reminders.
Come to Your Appointment Early!
Try to arrive at your appointment at least 15 minutes early. This will give you time to check in and fill out any necessary paperwork. It also protects you if you are running late because of transportation. If using the bus, give yourself more time because the bus stops a lot or it might be late.
If you do not have a car and can’t use the bus, call the clinic to talk about asking for a ride with your insurance.
Remember to ask for an interpreter if you need one.
Rescheduling Appointments
If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, call the office to tell your doctor as soon as possible. If you do not tell them, they will mark you as a no show to your appointment. Some clinics have a rule that if you miss a certain number of appointments without calling, they will stop being your doctor.
Take it Easy!
Don’t schedule appointments back to back because you might not be able to attend these appointments.
Be Honest: If you are struggling to keep up with your medical appointments, talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns. They may be able to offer additional support or resources to help you stay on track. Many clinics have community health workers who can help you learn to manage your appointments.
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Thank you to our sources who provided information for this video. Thank you to our partners at Milwaukee Public Schools. This video was made possible by the generous support of our grant funders.
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