ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE NEW PATIENTS

Who can request an appointment

Dr. Coombs does not make appointments for patients through third parties (i.e., well-meaning relatives, or other health practitioners. Parents of young or disabled children are the obvious exception.) Dr. Coombs does take patients on referral, but the patient must take the initiative to make the appointment his- or herself.

People that Dr. Coombs can take on as new patients

Because preference is given to children under 6 years of age with autism, Dr. Coombs must limit intake of other patients to those whom he is most likely to be able to help with his approach to functional medicine. 

To make an inquiry, telephone the office and give the receptionist a very brief description of your situation. If your medical issues seems to be one that Dr. Coombs can help, you will be asked to email a short but detailed outline of your medical issues. Dr. Coombs has many more requests to be seen than he can take on, and so he will screen these incoming requests. If he thinks that the problem described is one he can take on, he may ask for more details and/or book a short initial phone consultation prior to booking an appointment. Sometimes Dr. Coombs will pass on a suggestion as to who would be more appropriate to look after a person’s medical condition.

Intake instructions for new patients

New patients need to fill out an intake health questionnaire before their first appointment. There are two different questionnaires, one for adults and teens, and one for pre-teen children. The adult questionnaire is 8 pages long and can take up to an hour to complete. Questionnaires can be downloaded from this web site or sent out by e-mail.

In addition to completing the intake questionnaire, the following information would be very helpful:

· A short written description of your main medical problems, and what help you would like from Dr. Coombs. 

· A list of treatments that you have undertaken in the past, both conventional and alternative, and their effect on your condition.

· A complete list of your medications, both past and present, both drugs and nutritional supplements. Please include the name and dosage of each medication.

· Copies of previous medical reports and laboratory tests that you might have on hand, especially if you have been under the care of a specialist. 

What is required for successful outcomes with functional/integrative medicine?

1. Willingness to commit to healthy nutritional patterns

The standard North American diet is a significant underlying cause of chronic disease, and without a commitment to good dietary practices, all the other treatment approaches by functional/integrative medicine have little chance of long-term success.

2. Willingness to provide ongoing feedback during treatment

Functional medicine involves the ongoing tracking of all abnormal symptoms as treatment progresses, and this can be more important for guiding treatment than lab testing. Patients need to be willing to be observant and keep track of their various symptoms as treatment progresses. Often seemingly minor details end up being clinically important clues.

3. Willingness to think long-term

Chronic illness typically has multiple underlying causes that have been brewing for years if not decades. Very often, reversing all these underlying causes can take months or years. That requires hard work and patience..