Take control of your recovery with these four tips
1. Make your follow-up appointments
Schedule your recommended medical appointments as soon as possible – ideally within 1-2 days from discharge. Seeing your Primary Care Physician (PCP) and specialists soon after your hospital stay is important to ensure you are recovering as intended and taking the right next steps for better health. Use whatever system works well for you to remind you of your appointments and be prepared for your visit by writing down any questions or symptoms you want to discuss.
2. Know your medications
After a hospital stay, you may have questions about your medications despite your discharge instructions. What do I take? What are the side effects? How much do I take and for how long? Do any of my medications interact with each other? Write down any questions you have and talk to your PCP or trusted pharmacist. Maintain an accurate list of your medications that includes name, dose, schedule, any relevant start/stop dates and the name of the prescribing doctor.
3. Keep a Personal Health Record
Medical providers often have questions about your medical history. Keep a Personal Health Record that details your first weeks after discharge. You should also keep a log of health conditions, surgical history, allergies, medications, and the name and phone numbers of your providers. There are many applications you can download on your phone to help organize this information, or you can write it down on paper.
4. Know the warning signs and know what to do
Can you identify 3-5 symptoms that may warn you that your condition is getting worse? Do you know what to do when those symptoms appear? Talk to your medical providers about what to look for and what to do about it so you can create an action plan together. In some cases, your symptoms may require a visit to your PCP or your nearest urgent care center. In other cases, your symptoms may require emergency room treatment. It can be really helpful to know this information before you may need to use it.
Need more support after your discharge?
Our nurses are here to help. Call the customer service number on the back of your member ID card to connect with a case manager.