Understanding advised medical investigations
Often it so happens that in spite of good case taking and clinical examination, your physician is not able to diagnose your medical case. This could be because the information present is incomplete or the case is at a stage where commenting is difficult. In such situations, doctors often ask you to undergo certain medical investigations.
Medical investigations depend on the medical case you are presenting. They could range from blood tests to nuclear studies. There are different specialty areas where these tests are conducted. You need to follow your doctor’s instructions and accordingly act.
Importance of medical investigations
There are various types of medical investigations like, blood tests, X-Rays, ultrasonography MRI, CT scans, and other imaging studies. As you trust your physician’s decision, you should be sure that you have been asked to do those investigations because they are necessary. It is therefore required that you take this advice seriously and get yourself evaluated accordingly. Your medical case remains unsolved till you get those investigations done and show it your physician. Based on these reports your physician will be able to diagnose the case, start or change treatment and take the necessary action.
You can help
You can help yourself by understanding the advised medical investigation. Here are a few things you can do:
- Take a note from your physician regarding details of the tests to be performed.
- Talk to your doctor about the investigations, the need for it and its relation to your medical condition. Understand certain basics about your illness and the investigations.
- Ask for their reference and a reliable medical center to get the investigations done.
- Make a note of any instructions related to investigations. For example, whether you have to remain in fasting for certain number of hours, need to drink plenty of water or similar other guidelines.
- Talk to your doctor about your past history and about any implant in your body. This is particularly in case of imaging studies where metal implants or pacemakers can be a problem.
- Check with the medical center for the advised investigations, fix an appointment and talk to them about special instructions.