After your appointment: what to do when you don’t get answers

Part 3 of 3: Be Heard with Dr. Charis Chambers

Top things to know:

• Leaving without answers doesn’t mean your symptoms aren’t real. It means "the investigation isn’t over," says Dr. Charis Chambers

• Ask for a copy of any test results and ask questions until you understand them

• If you’re unsure about your care, a second opinion can help, and many doctors will welcome it

• Keep tracking your symptoms to learn what’s typical for you and spot changes sooner

What does it mean if your appointment didn’t give you answers?

Not every appointment ends with answers. Sometimes you may leave with more questions than you came with. That doesn’t mean you should stop looking for answers. As Dr. Chambers puts it, it means "the investigation isn’t over."

"There’s no test that decides whether your symptoms are real," she explains. With her own patients, she uses what she calls a radical strategy: she believes them. Then she looks for ways to help, rather than ways to prove they’re worthy of help.

Her key message:

"The absence of certainty is not the absence of agency."

What should you do after your appointment?

If you didn’t get the answer you needed, Dr. Chambers recommends that you:

• Ask for a copy of your test results, and keep asking questions until you understand them

• Follow up on imaging and care plans

• Ask what’s next, what should change, and how you’ll know if there’s progress

Should you get a second opinion?

If you’re not sure about your care, a second opinion can help. Don’t worry about disappointing or upsetting your doctor. Many doctors welcome second opinions, Dr. Chambers says, because they want you to feel confident in your care.

Why keep tracking your symptoms?

Tracking doesn’t stop after one visit. Knowing your baseline and what’s typical for you helps you spot changes sooner, so you can walk into every follow-up with data to back you up. Before a follow-up or second opinion, you can create your Doctor’s Report in the Clue app to bring with you.

Learn more about what’s in the report.

Self-advocacy isn’t easy, but as Dr. Chambers says, your health is worth it.

Keep tracking, keep speaking up

Track your symptoms in Clue and create a Doctor’s Report before your next appointment or second opinion. Clue Plus members get it at no extra cost, and anyone else can get it with a one-time purchase. The Doctor’s Report is currently only available when your Clue app is set to English.