After completing a detailed review of your medical care via other providers, psychiatrists will then try to determine if there are any screening studies that need to be completed before moving forward with recommending treatments.
Most commonly, there are a series of blood and/or urine tests that might be requested to rule out non-psychiatric causes for experiencing changes in mood, concentration, or reality testing. There are medical conditions that in many ways may mimic psychiatric diagnoses, so it's best to make sure those mimics are not active before starting a psychiatric medication or psychotherapy.
Additionally, your psychiatrist may check into your risk factors for common health challenges like diabetes, high cholesterol, or difficulties with your kidney or liver function. Knowing that you are at risk for certain conditions will help guide treatment planning towards the use of the safest medications for your general health.
Occasionally, your psychiatrist may also request more specific studies, which may include x-rays, MRIs, or in-person cognitive testing with an accredited specialist. The take home point with these types of tests is that they are usually ordered to answer very specific questions, and so your psychiatrist should talk to you about why they are asking for these specific tests, if it turns out they are appropriate to your care needs.
Next: Discussing your overall assessment and first impressions of your care needs
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