You want the best for your loved one, but meeting with medical professionals can be intimidating. If you forget to ask important questions once you're in the room with your loved one's doctor, or don't understand what she's telling you, you're not alone. Many family caregivers are thrust into a role for which they are ill-prepared. However, as a caregiver, it's your job to ensure that your loved one's needs are seen to—they depend on your advocacy. Get the most out of your doctors' visits and become an effective advocate by following the tips below.

Before the Appointment
• Be prepared with salient and detailed information for the physician. For example, "My father hasn't been feeling well" isn't as easy for a doctor to assess as "he's had a fever of 103°F for two days," or "he's had tingling sensations in his left leg for four hours."
• Keep a list of all health concerns and arrange them in order of importance. This list will remind you to bring up any auxiliary issues, and will keep you and your physician focused on what matters to you.

During the Appointment
• Pay attention. It's unlikely that you'll retain everything that the doctor explains to you—especially if it isn't good news. Help yourself by using the 3 R's: record, write or rope in a relative or friend. Take notes during the conversation or right afterwards, when the information is fresh in your mind. Using a small tape or digital recorder can be helpful. Having someone else there may also help you decipher the full meaning of the information later on.
• Ask for clarification when a term or concept doesn't make sense to you. Specialists sometimes use a lot of medical jargon.
• Communicate effectively. Make your feelings clear, but remember that doctors are busy people. Listen to what they say. Don't waste anyone's time, including your own, by monopolizing the conversation.

Doctors and caregivers are both in the business of helping others. Go in prepared to make the most out of the experience—and keep in mind that you came to help someone you love. As Nobel Prize winner Martin H. Fischer once said, "In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of medical science."