APPOINTMENTS
MEET & GREET
If you have never heard of Naturopathic medicine before or are curious to know what Naturopathic medicine can do for you, it may be a good idea to book a FREE 15-minute, no obligation consult with Dr Ali Nurani. Currently, 15-min consults are available only at the Action clinic. These are great opportunities to:
- MEET and talk one-on-one with the naturopathic doctor
- ASK questions about how naturopathic medicine can address your specific health concerns
- LEARN more about what it’s like to be a patient at our office
- SEE if our doctors and our office are a good fit for what you are seeking
- SCHEDULE your first appointment if you choose to become a patient at our office
It would be helpful if you bring in all your questions, lab reports, X-rays, CT scan, MRI imaging, and any additional information to help us better understand your health needs to your consult. Consults are brief and are meant to be mostly educational.
**Please note that NO treatments or therapies will be provided during this visit**
PRIOR TO 1st VISIT
Once you have scheduled your first visit with Dr Nurani, you will receive a welcome email shortly after. Please provide a valid email address when booking your appointment. Take the time to review this email, as it will contain important information regarding your first visit.
SMART ND Electronic Medical Software
The email you will receive will provide instructions to set up a FREE account to Smart ND. SmartND is the electronic medical software that we use at the clinic. Once you have created your account, you will then have access to the SmartND Patient Portal. The Patient Portal allows you to log in online and access intake forms, consent forms, treatment plans, handouts, and anything else you your doctor wants to communicate to you. For more information, and to view a tutorial on how to set up your SmartND account please CLICK HERE.
Intake and Informed Consent Forms
Please login to the Patient portal on SmartND and fill in BOTH the Intake forms and Informed Consent forms online. Once completed, the doctor will receive a notification that you have completed the forms. You can also DOWNLOAD the forms beforehand and either email, fax (403-212-0880) or drop off the filled out forms BEFORE your first visit. This will allow the doctor to prepare for your first appointment and ensure that you are not spending valuable time filling out paperwork during your visit.
Lab work
You can also request copies of the most recent blood work, scans or tests completed by your medical doctor or other health care practitioner(s), or any test results that have shown any abnormalities in the past. Please bring a copy of these results with you or arrange to email, fax or drop them off prior to your first appointment.
Meds and Supplements
Also bring all pharmaceutical medicines and supplements that you are taking currently. Having lists prepared for the doctor is tremendously helpful – medication/ supplement lists, symptom lists and a list of questions you may have.
1st VISIT
There are a number of things that your doctor will go over during the first visit. Naturopathic first visits involve a much more comprehensive approach when gathering information. The naturopathic intake may include questions about your bowel movements to quality of sleep and even your emotional health.
In general, most of the first visit will involve information gathering and reviewing:
- Intake forms you submitted previously
- History of your illness
- Current diet and lifestyle habits
- Previous lab work done
- Current symptoms
- General health of all body systems
- Social and environmental influences
- Treatments and therapies you have done
- Medications and supplements that you take
We encourage patients to be fully open and honest during the intake process – this will ensure the doctor will understand you better, and make better recommendations for your personal treatment plan. In our clinic, you would never be judged, criticized or ridiculed for anything you say to our doctors or staff.
Once the doctor feels enough information has been obtained, you will get his first clinical impressions of the case, and how he would like to approach your specific situation. It may be necessary to order more lab work at this point and the doctor will discuss your options to go about getting the appropriate lab testing done.
Finally, your doctor will provide an overview assessment of your health and together you will discuss suggested recommendations based on a generalized treatment plan. This may include dietary modifications, lifestyle factors, herbs and/or other supplements. While sometimes comprehensive treatment regimens depend on lab results being in, the doctor will usually get you started on a plan to get you feeling better right away.
1st FOLLOW UP
This visit is usually recommended within 2-3 weeks of the initial visit. The first follow-up visit typically consists of:
- Performing a brief focused physical exam including vital signs
- Reviewing labs and imaging requested previously
- Reviewing all forms, questionnaires the patient has filled out since the first visit
- Reviewing your specific treatment plan that the doctor has come up with for your case including a discussion in detail of the doctor’s findings, treatment goals, and expectations for your recovery
- Collaborating on an efficient follow up schedule to complement the treatment plan
2nd FOLLOW UP
Follow up visits are recommended for anywhere from 2-4 weeks after the initial visit. These visits are shorter and meant to check in and monitor progress.
During follow up consultations, the naturopathic doctor will assess:
- How you have been feeling since the previous visit
- How things might have changed with the treatment plan
- What symptoms are better, which are worse, if there are any new symptoms, and which are unchanged
- What alterations need to be made to the treatment plan
Proper follow up is the single most important aspect of your treatment as it allows us to monitor your progress, change therapies as necessary and ensure that you are advancing to an overall healthy and vital state. In order for the doctor to help you as much possible, you must adhere to the treatment plan recommended and be engaged in your own health management.
ONGOING VISITS
- Initially, it may only be necessary to see the doctor once every 2-4 weeks. Depending on your specific treatment regimen, it may be recommended that you commit to a weekly visiting schedule for a two-month period such as when acupuncture is the primary treatment. Generally, as your health improves, the need for follow-up appointments will be reduced.
- There are also certain times of the year you may want to see your naturopathic doctor such as before flu season or allergy season as you and your doctor can come up with an effective prevention strategy.
- You can also see your naturopathic doctor to check in and monitor your progress towards your health goals on an as-per-needed basis or set schedule agreed upon with your doctor.
- If you have not followed up for more than a year, it is highly recommended that you schedule a 1-hour appointment so that the doctor can check in with you, assess the state of your health or make appropriate recommendations to get you back on track.
ACUTE VISITS
These visits are reserved for existing patients of Dr. Nurani’s only and are for more immediate health concerns. To book an acute visit call 403-243-8114.
INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS
Dr Nurani administers intramuscular injections of certain injectable nutrients including Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) and folic acid.