The Asthma Center First Visit Checklist

Welcome to The Asthma Center! We have put together a few tips and guidelines to make your first appointment as effective as possible. We are looking forward to seeing you in the office for the first time!

New Patient Forms & Online Billing Account

• All New Patients:
  • Please fill out the New Patient Form.
  • Sign up for an Online Billing Account with Instamed to receive statements online (here).

Before Your Visit Checklist

• Fill out the New Patient Form
• Sign Up for an Online Billing Account with Instamed
• Do not take prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines for the 3 days prior to your first visit as antihistamines can
  interfere with allergy skin testing.
• Take asthma medications as usual.
• Ask questions about medications that may interfere with your testing by calling the office where you are scheduled.
• Prepare information about:
  • Previous diagnosis, treatments, surgeries and testing (if any)
  • List of current medications
  • Copy of recent lab work and/or x-rays (often available in a patient portal like myPennMedicine, or MyChart by Jefferson Health)
  • A proper referral if required by your insurance
  • Insurance card and photo ID, which are required for your visit

Day of Your Visit Checklist

• Be Early to your scheduled appointment. We understand that our patients have very busy schedules, and we will try to accommodate anyone that arrives late to their appointment. However, if you arrive fifteen or more minutes late, we will do our best to accommodate you but we may need to reschedule your appointment to another day in order to avoid scheduling delays for our other patients and staff.
• Bring all information prepared above, information about:
  1. Previous diagnosis, treatments, surgeries and testing
  2. List of current medications
  3. Copy of recent lab work and/or x-rays
  4. Proper referral if required by your insurance
  5. Insurance card and photo ID
• Wear short-sleeve shirt in case allergy skin testing is performed on the upper arm.

What To Expect During Your Visit

First visits often takes 2 – 3 hours, depending on how complicated the medical conditions are and what testing might be needed. You will be seen by one of our nurses and one of our board-certified allergists. The physician will review all your current symptoms, past medical history, environmental exposures, and will conduct a physical examination.  Skin testing and/or a breathing test may be concurrently done during this time. We recommend our patients wear a short-sleeve shirt on the day of the appointment in case intradermal allergy skin testing is performed on the upper arm.

Kindly provide at least 48 hours notice if you must cancel your visit with us. Failure to provide 48 hours notice will result in a $150 fee.

PA: (215) 569-1111  NJ: (856) 316-0300

Center City Philadelphia • Northeast Philadelphia

Langhorne – Bucks County PA

Mt. Laurel NJ