How can you ensure that you tell the doctor everything you meant to? Prepare a focused one-page note covering your key points, and give it to the nurse or aide who takes you to an exam room and checks your temperature and blood pressure. Ask her to give it to the doctor.

It is a rare doctor who won't scan a carefully crafted note from a patient before walking through the door, in my experience. Some doctors may be mildly amused, because most patients don't prepare notes. But they still usually read the page. And many doctors will say, "The more information I have, the better," or "This is really, really helpful."

What should you include?

Start with your name, the date of the visit, and the topic - the reason you are there. For example, "Asthma Medications," or "Neck and Head Pain."

Next, describe the single main issue that brings you to the doctor. Include a comment or two describing how the problem interferes with your ability to lead the life you want. Don't assume that the doctor remembers your previous visits and their contents.

For example, you might say, "Two months ago you prescribed a rescue inhaler and asked me to try using it before I exercised, and report back to tell you if it helped. I tried it once. I couldn't see any difference, except that it made me so jittery that I was afraid I'd fall off my bike going down hill. I don't want to take this drug any more."

Or, "Sudden neck pain starting on May 01 has continued for 6+ weeks. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, it started out a 10 and is still about a 7. I can't get any exercise, and I am only getting about 40 percent of my normal sleep due to the pain. This situation interferes with my life. Also, I have visitors coming in two months. I have been promising for a year to take them rock-climbing, which I can't do with this neck problem."

Virtually all doctors are familiar with a 10-point pain scale, with 10 meaning "the worst pain you can imagine," and 1 meaning "hardly noticeable." Using this pain scale to peg your level of pain can help them quickly understand the intensity of the problem for you.

Specifics can help the doctor understand how big the issue is - not just, "It's interfering with my sleep," but "I am only getting about 40 percent of my normal sleep due to the pain."

Explain what caused or immediately preceded the problem, if you can. For example, "I got a runny nose, sore throat, and fever of 101 degrees about 24 to 48 hours after I completed a short business trip that involved four flights in three days to the east coast and back."

If you believe that the current issue needs to be placed in a larger context, mention that. Explain if the current issue is a change for you. For example, "This is the sixth cold I've gotten in three months. I used to get about one cold a year."

Explain what you have tried at home to address the problem and whether it worked or not. For instance, "I tried to put ice on my neck, but that just made the pain worse."

Mention any recent medical visits and treatments related to the problem. Include the diagnoses you have been given. If you believe that you have been misdiagnosed and want a second opinion not influenced by other doctors' conclusions, you might decide to leave this part out.

If pain is a major symptom, describe it as clearly as you can. Include its location, such as "Most of the pain is in the back of my head below ear level." Is the pain dull or sharp? Constant or intermittent? Does it get better or worse depending on what you are doing?

For example, "I get sudden, sharp pains at the base of my skull if I move my head. If I am still, it doesn't hurt."

Use bullet points to make your notes easier to grasp quickly.

By providing clear, concise, organized notes, you can help your doctor help you.