We look forward to meeting you! Here is a breakdown of the general flow you can expect from your first visit with us:
Intake Admin Services (15 mins): Your first visit will start with collecting any demographic or background information still needed, though if you have filled out the enrollment paperwork online you may already be all set. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the logistical or financial aspects of your future care with us.
Medical Services (60-120 mins, based on the appointment you have set up): Next you will meet Dr. Schroeder. Together you will discuss your medical/allergy history, your lifestyle habits, your goals regarding your allergy health and treatments, your concerns or fears regarding your health and treatments, and your general questions. Dr. Schroeder will listen and then answer your initial questions as best as possible. She will check your vital signs and do your physical exam, and then she will discuss her thoughts with you on any appropriate testing needed at that time to get additional initial diagnostic information. You will then move on to the testing part of the appointment, which may include allergen skin testing, breathing tests, and/or some sublingual antigen drop test doses. After information has been obtained from your testing, Dr. Schroeder will review with you the results and her initial thoughts regarding a treatment plan, which may include any or all of the following: environmental control measures, appropriate medications, immunotherapy options, management of immune stressors, and dietary management. In the remaining time, she will go deeper into the details of her treatment plan as appropriate and answer any questions you may have about her treatment recommendations or this overall process.
If sublingual immunotherapy will be part of your treatment and Dr. Schroeder has enough information to formulate your initial treatment bottle(s), she will put together your bottle(s) and you may do a test dose if needed and leave with your bottle(s) in hand the same day. However, if bloodwork is needed, this will be performed after the visit, and Dr. Schroeder may want to wait to see these results before further formulating your immunotherapy treatment plan and your initial drops bottle(s). In that case, she will review with you the appropriate follow up steps related to your specific conditions and situation (including how far away you live, especially if out of state) in order to get you started on your sublingual immunotherapy program as smoothly and safely as possible. Some common next steps would include one of the following: (1) scheduling a follow up appointment – either in the clinic or via appropriate phone/telemedicine methods – to review your results in detail, do any additional testing needed (if in clinic), and discuss appropriate treatment options (often for more complex conditions or instances in which significant bloodwork was needed before treatment options could be developed and discussed), (2) returning to the clinic just to pick up your sublingual immunotherapy bottle(s) and do a test dose in-clinic if needed (a quick, 10 minute process), or (3) having your sublingual immunotherapy bottle(s) mailed to you.
Concluding Admin Services (15 mins): Your appointment will conclude with a discussion of when your next in-clinic follow up appointment should occur. Then we will review your enrollment papers with you, your Program or Fee For Service plan details, and answer any remaining questions you have about the logistical and financial aspects of your care with us. Once you are all fully set up, you will be on your way, hopefully feeling informed and hopeful about the future, and we will be in touch with you as appropriate per your treatment plan or when we receive your additional results!
We want you to have enough time during your initial appointment to get your initial questions answered, so we have allowed for our shortest initial visit appointment time to give you up to 1 hour with your physician (taking about 1.5 hours overall including admin services). Depending on your reason for establishing care with us, we will help guide you regarding what appointment length to reserve, and you may reserve up to 2 hours with Dr. Schroeder if desired. Should you still want or need additional time regarding your initial questions, we will be happy to work with you to set up an additional phone consult time or another in-clinic consultation with Dr. Schroeder at any time.