Chronic Medical Condition Management

Why follow-up visits matter

Chronic conditions such as COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and stroke require ongoing care. If you’ve been hospitalized, please follow up with us within 3–5 days after you leave the hospital.

At SimrikMed, our chronic condition management visits include a review of your symptoms, medications, and any blood pressure or blood sugar readings you track at home. Bring your medication list or your medication bottles, along with your home logs. We can order tests, adjust treatment, and refer you to a specialist when needed. We also offer nutrition consultations. Follow-up visits are available in the office or by telehealth. We offer same-day appointments and welcome walk-ins.

1. Bring readings, measured the right way

Blood pressure

Home readings are only useful if they are taken consistently. CDC recommends:

• No eating, drinking, smoking, caffeine, alcohol or exercise in the 30 minutes before.
• Empty your bladder, then sit with your back supported and feet flat for at least 5 minutes.
• Rest your arm on a table with the cuff on bare skin at chest height, and don’t talk during the reading.
• Take at least two readings a minute or two apart, at the same time each day, and write them down.

CDC also notes that some people have higher readings in a clinic than at home, which is one reason home logs are valuable.

Blood sugar

If you check glucose at home, bring your meter, app or written log. NIDDK and CDC describe common targets for many people with diabetes, such as 80 to 130 mg/dL before meals. Your own targets may differ, so use the ones your provider gave you. Note any readings below 70 mg/dL and what you were doing at the time, as these are considered low.

2. Review every medicine

Bring an up-to-date list of everything you take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. You can also bring the medication bottles instead of a list. At the visit, it is reasonable to ask:

• Do I still need each of these medicines?
• Am I taking each one correctly and at the right time?
• Could any of them interact with each other?

If you take several medicines or get prescriptions from different providers, you may be at higher risk of drug interactions and side effects. Regular visits help your provider check for duplicate prescriptions and make sure each medicine is still right for you. If you notice side effects, talk to your provider before stopping a medicine or changing your dose.

3. Note symptoms and changes

Write down anything new since your last visit, such as dizziness, swelling, unusual thirst, changes in vision, numbness in your feet, sleep problems or mood changes. Also note life changes that affect your routine, like a new job, travel or illness.

4. Prepare your questions

Write down your two or three most important questions and ask those first.

• What blood pressure or blood sugar range should I aim for? What should I do if my readings are too high or too low?
• When should I have my A1c and cholesterol levels checked?
• Am I due for a mammogram to screen for breast cancer or a Pap smear test to screen for cervical cancer?
• Is it time for colorectal cancer screening? Would a colonoscopy or a stool test such as Cologuard be right for me?
• Am I due for a flu shot, a pneumonia vaccine, or a tetanus booster (Td or Tdap)?

Call SimrikMed Primary Care at (727) 606-3350 to schedule your follow-up visit or ask about screenings and vaccines.