Whether you're just getting settled in a new town, changed your health insurance or just want another physician, meeting new family doctors is something you'll do often in your life. Many people treat this as a perfunctory experience, but when you've got the opportunity to talk for the first time with the doctor seeing your family, you might want to follow these specific instructions.

Discuss Health Goals

An important detail to talk through with new family doctors is your hope that you'll lose weight for an upcoming event or the desire to eat in a healthier fashion. You may think you're fine handling these kinds of goals alone, but physician monitoring of these issues can be good for you. If you've chosen a vegan diet, for example, your new physician can monitor B vitamin levels in your blood so you don't start feeling run down or otherwise unwell. New doctors can also ask you to try other techniques or methods that your previous doctors never mentioned.

Know Your Medications

Any intake form at a new family doctor's office will include space for a full list of any medications the patient is taking. If you aren't fully sure about whether you're listing all the relevant prescriptions, point that out both on the form and in person. Your new doctor will look at the list for signs of possible interactions and ask questions about how you're responding to them. If you or a family member has recently stopped taking medication that's also important to pass on. This is especially important if you or the kids have chronic problems which need frequent monitoring and medication changes.

Mention Family Issues

Because the family doctor will be treating both you and your kids, keeping them informed of relevant family topics is important. If divorce seems imminent, for instance, that information could help your doctor to better monitor the mental health of your children during this time. If a child has diabetes, the doctor may ask whether the entire family has changed their diets and be more eager to do blood tests to ensure that others don't have the disease or vitamin deficiencies which could later become problematic.

Family doctors are skilled professionals who can ably handle everyone's health; being open and helping them in this regard is good for all of you. Maintaining a close relationship over time will keep you all well and give your new family physician the tools to support you. To learn more, contact a local family practice.