Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Quality health care is a team effort. And as the most important member of your Care Team, you can make sure you get the best possible care by being prepared for your appointment and asking questions before, during and after your visit.
But what questions should you ask? Not to worry, here’s an easy way to get started. First, think about why you are going to see your doctor. Are you going to talk about a health problem? To get or change medications? To get medical tests? To talk about surgery or treatment options?
To help you get the most out of your appointment, we’ve compiled common questions you may want to ask your doctor or Care Team.
Questions to ask about a health problem:
Quality healthcare is a team effort. And as the most important member of your Care Team, you can make sure you get the best possible care by being prepared for your appointment and asking questions before, during and after your visit.
But what questions should you ask? If you’re visiting your doctor to talk about a health problem, here’s a list of questions you can print and bring to your appointment.
Don’t forget, making sure you understand the answers you get is just as important. It’s always a good idea to take notes. And if you don’t understand or are confused, ask your doctor to explain the answer again.
- What is my diagnosis?
- Will I need any more tests?
- What are my treatment options?
- How soon do I need to make a decision about treatment?
- How much does my treatment cost?
- Is my treatment covered by insurance?
- Are there any side effects?
- What happens if I choose to not have treatment?
- What is the outlook for my future (prognosis)?
- Will I need special help at home?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About:
Medications
Quality healthcare is a team effort. And as the most important member of your Care Team, you can make sure you get the best possible care by being prepared for your appointment and asking questions before, during and after your visit.
But what questions should you ask? If you’re visiting your doctor to talk about a medication, here’s a list of questions you can print and bring to your appointment.
Don’t forget, making sure you understand the answers you get is just as important. It’s always a good idea to take notes. And if you don’t understand or are confused, ask your doctor to explain the answer again.
- What is the name of the medicine?
- What is the medicine for?
- Can I take a generic?
- When should I take it, and how often?
- How much should I take?
- How long do I need to take the medicine?
- Are there any side effects?
- Do I need to take the medicine with food?
- Do I need to avoid any food, drinks or activities?
- What should I do if I forget to take my medicine?
- What should I do if I accidentally take more (or less) than the recommended dose?
- Should I get a refill, and if so how many?
- Should I stop taking any of my other medications or vitamins?
- Is there written information I can have?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About:
Diagnostic Test
Quality healthcare is a team effort. And as the most important member of your Care Team, you can make sure you get the best possible care by being prepared for your appointment and asking questions before, during and after your visit.
But what questions should you ask? If you’re visiting your doctor to talk about a test, here’s a list of questions you can print and bring to your appointment.
Don’t forget, making sure you understand the answers you get is just as important. It’s always a good idea to take notes. And if you don’t understand or are confused, ask your doctor to explain the answer again.
- What is the name of the test?
- What is the test for?
- How is the test done?
- How accurate is the test?
- Is the test the only way to find out what might be causing my health problem?
- What do I need to do to prepare for the test?
- When will I get my results?
- What will the results tell me?
- What’s the next step after the test?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About:
Surgical Procedure
Quality healthcare is a team effort. And as the most important member of your Care Team, you can make sure you get the best possible care by being prepared for your appointment and asking questions before, during and after your visit.
But what questions should you ask? If you’re visiting your doctor to talk about a surgical procedure, here’s a list of questions you can print and bring to your appointment.
Don’t forget, making sure you understand the answers you get is just as important. It’s always a good idea to take notes. And if you don’t understand or are confused, ask your doctor to explain the answer again.
- Why do I need surgery?
- Is there some other way to treat my condition?
- What kind of surgery do I need?
- Have you done this surgery before?
- Which is the best hospital for this surgery?
- What do I need to do to prepare?
- How long will the surgery take?
- Does someone need to accompany me?
- Will I need anesthesia?
- How long will it take me to recover?
- How long will I be in the hospital?
- What can I expect after my surgery?
- Will I need special help at home?
- What will happen if I wait or don’t have this surgery?
And don’t forget, making sure you understand the answers you get is just as important. If you don’t understand or are confused, ask your doctor to explain the answer again.