The short answer is:

Yes.
You do have to do the paperwork.

Infrequently people do not want to fill out their intake form, informed consent, and HIPAA forms.
These are all required by my board.
They must be completed prior to your appointment.
Filling out the form protects you, because when you complete the forms, you are told about what is involved in the process of getting care.
Filling out the form protects me, so I don’t initiate a type of care that is inappropriate for you based on your history and spherical presentation.

The form is too long

Sometimes people will complain that my intake form is too long.
I agree it is long.
Why is it long?
Because you are a complex person who has already seen many doctors.
I can guarantee you that I am not the first person you are seeing for your health.
I generally am seen after the patient has seen many other health care providers without adequate resolution.

If you feel like my form asks too many questions about things you don’t think are relevant and you don’t want to talk about, you probably should be going to a different provider.

When you write down your history, and provide me with your previous labs and imaging then I begin to get a good idea of who you are and the questions I need to ask to know what you need.
I spend 30-60 minutes reviewing your intake materials before I meet you.
I come up with many questions to ask you so I have a good idea of where we need to start.
If I did not have such a detailed intake form, we would have to spend much more time talking.
I am taking you and your history and your health seriously.
You are not trivial.

I just want to be cracked

Sometimes people complain about the intake form because they just want to be popped, or just have one symptom they wish to address and they know how they want it addressed.
If you just want to be cracked, I recommend going to The Joint or to someone in your insurance network.
They will provide you with specific and superb care.
If you just have one thing you want to have addressed and you need it to be addressed in one particular way, and don’t want to fill out the form, you probably need to find someone else to help you.

Curiosity Won’t Kill This Cat

The best quality to bring with you to your care is curiosity.
When we think we know all the answers in advance, we are selling ourselves short.