Questions to ask your doctor

The average appointment leaves a few minutes for questions, and people forget most of what they meant to ask. These sets are organised by specialty and by diagnosis so you can bring a list. They are prompts for a conversation with your own clinician, not medical advice.

73 sets · 1,629 questions · each with a note on why

A few to start with

How did you arrive at this diagnosis, and can you show me on the images?
Seeing your own scans and photos while someone points at the problem makes the rest of the conversation concrete. It also reveals how carefully the records were read, since a rushed exam tends to produce generalities rather than specific measurements.
From: Questions to Ask an Orthodontist
Who covers your patients when you are away or unavailable?
Continuity matters for prescriptions and repeat monitoring. Ask whether a colleague can issue a refill and whether your notes are accessible to them, so a holiday or a departure does not interrupt treatment.
From: Questions to Ask a Doctor About Transitioning
Can we place a live test call to your monitoring center right now, before I give you a card number, and how often should we test after that?
Hearing a real operator tells you more than any brochure, including how clearly they speak and how long the line rings. A provider that welcomes the test and recommends a monthly one afterward is confident in what you will hear.
From: Questions to Ask About Medical Alert Systems
What happens to my sample and my data once the test is finished?
Storage, reanalysis and research use are usually consented to in the same paperwork as the test itself. This is the moment to separate what you agree to from what is bundled with it.
From: Questions to Ask a Genetic Counselor
Is there anything I should do or avoid afterwards?
Advice differs sharply by procedure: contrast agents may prompt drinking more fluid, radioisotopes may involve short-term distance from children, and most plain imaging involves nothing at all. Ask so you are not inventing precautions.
From: Questions to Ask About Radiation
Of everything we just covered, which one thing would help you most if we could get you support for it?
Letting the patient rank their own needs stops you from routing them to three programs they will not use. Their choice is usually the one that unblocks the rest of the treatment plan.
From: Social Determinants of Health Questions to Ask Patients

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