Most patients don't do a great job of communicating with their doctors, because patients often give too little pertinent information to go on. Remember, just like a detective, doctors are looking for the facts. At the same time, they may also give us too many distracting or off-topic details.

The first sign of a smart patient is that telltale document they produce during their first visit or their 50th—it's their health profile. This is the sign of a patient who means business, one who will challenge us to be at our absolute best and who won't waste time and money on redundant and unnecessary efforts.

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