ASK QUESTIONS

Many people leave their doctor’s appointments and other health care visits with unanswered questions. And when they arrive home, they promptly ask a friend, family member, or Dr. Google.  Unfortunately, none of these are the best options.

There are many reasons we may not ask questions at the visit. We may be embarrassed to admit we do not understand. The doctor may have been in a hurry. We forgot the question with the flurry of activity. And sometimes, questions come to mind later after we have had time to digest what was said.  Whatever the reason, there are things we can do to leave with the information we need.

Preparation

  • Think about the reasons you may not ask questions and prepare yourself in advance.
  • Write your questions down before and/or during the visit so you don’t forget them.
  • Take someone with you to the visit. A friend or family member may bolster your confidence and may also think of questions you don’t.
  • If you are uncomfortable due to the number of people in the room, ask your doctor to have them step out.
  • If your doctor is in a hurry, ask them to slow down. Share your concerns and let them know you have questions that you want them to answer.
  • Be kind to yourself and don’t fear judgment at the doctor’s office. As my gynecologist used to say, “We’re here to help, not to hurt.” Take a deep breath and ask your question. It gets easier after the first.

Ask for Help

As adults we want to be self-sufficient. Indeed, the buzz word in health care is empower. Empower patients to manage their own health by providing information and encouraging them to be active participants in decision making. But sometimes the complexity of our system can make it difficult to navigate our care independently.

For example, your health care provider wants you to see a specialist, have imaging (i.e MRI, x-rays), or a special test somewhere else. They don’t offer to schedule it for you, but they give you contact information to do it yourself. You call to schedule but run into problems. Perhaps they don’t have an appointment for many months.  They want additional information you don’t have. This leads to frustration and often delay in care as we wait until our next appointment to tell the doctor that we were unsuccessful. But remember, scheduling staff likely have limited clinical backgrounds. Thus, they may not know when a request may be an exception.

Call your health care provider’s office and ask to speak with the nurse or medical assistant. Ask them for assistance with scheduling, especially when time is a factor. Having someone from your provider’s office who speaks the clinical language can help with conveying the urgency of the situation. In addition, they can reach the next level decision makers beyond the scheduler. They also know what length of time is reasonable to wait for an appointment that won’t compromise your health.

Summary

Our health care system is complicated. This contributes to our health care providers being overburdened and rushed. They may not offer assistance with navigating the system outside their office. They may seem to busy to answer questions. But they want to help. We just need to let them know. As Bill Withers sang in Lean on Me: “For no one can fill those of your needs that you won’t let show.”  We need to ask questions and ask for help.