Questions to ask your doctor

Questions that patients can ask healthcare professionals about prevention, diagnosis, tests, medicines, and treatment

Questions to ask your doctor

“Prevention is better than cure.” Asking questions and learning about your health can help prevent some illnesses, detect problems earlier, reduce medication errors, support healthier decisions, and improve communication with your healthcare professional.

Questions to ask your doctor are questions patients and caregivers can use before, during, and after a medical appointment. They can help a person understand:

• Current health risks
• Preventive healthcare
• Symptoms and possible causes
• A new diagnosis
• Medical tests and results
• Treatment choices
• Prescription and nonprescription medicines
• Procedures and surgery
• Follow-up care
• When urgent help may be needed

Important: Not every disease can be prevented, and developing an illness is not necessarily the result of personal choices. Genetics, environment, age, infection, access to care, and the social determinants of health also influence health.

Medical emergency? Do not delay emergency care while preparing questions. Call local emergency services for severe chest pain, major breathing difficulty, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, loss of consciousness, or another suspected emergency. In the United States, call 911.

Five essential questions for almost any appointment

#	Question
1	What is the most important health issue we should address today?
2	What do you think may be causing my symptoms?
3	What are my options, including the option of waiting or doing nothing now?
4	What are the expected benefits, possible harms, and alternatives?
5	What should I do next, and when should I contact you or seek urgent care?

Why asking questions matters

Good communication can support patient safety, informed consent, shared decision-making, medication adherence, and continuity of care.

Questions may help patients:

• Recognize preventable risk factors
• Receive appropriate vaccination and screening
• Understand warning signs
• Avoid medication duplication and interactions
• Prepare correctly for tests and procedures
• Compare treatment options
• Identify when follow-up is required
• Participate in shared decision-making
• Correct misunderstandings
• Make choices consistent with personal goals and values

MedlinePlus recommends preparing a list of questions, bringing a complete medication list, describing symptoms accurately, taking notes, and asking for clarification or written instructions when needed.

Before the appointment

Preparation can help make limited appointment time more useful.

Write down your priorities

List the concerns you want to discuss and place the most important ones first. Consider identifying the top three concerns in case time is limited.

Questions to ask yourself include:

• What is my main concern?
• When did it begin?
• Is it getting better, worse, or staying the same?
• How does it affect sleep, work, exercise, eating, or daily activity?
• What outcome do I hope to achieve from this appointment?
• Which questions must be answered today?
• Which concerns could be handled during a later appointment?

The National Institute on Aging recommends making and prioritizing a list of concerns before the visit.

Prepare a symptom history

For each important symptom, consider recording:

• When it began
• Where it occurs
• How it feels
• How severe it is
• Whether it is constant or intermittent
• What triggers it
• What improves it
• What makes it worse
• Associated symptoms
• Previous episodes
• Treatments already tried
• Relevant measurements, photographs, or diary entries

Examples include a blood pressure log, blood-glucose readings, headache diary, sleep diary, menstrual record, food and symptom diary, or photographs of a changing rash.

Prepare a medication list

Include:

• Prescription medicines
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Herbal products
• Dietary supplements
• Injections
• Inhalers
• Creams and patches
• Medicines taken only when needed

For each product, record the name, dose, timing, reason for use, and prescribing clinician.

Also list:

• Medication allergies
• Previous adverse reactions
• Medicines recently stopped
• Problems with cost or access
• Difficulty swallowing or opening containers
• Missed doses
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding status when relevant

Gather useful information

Depending on the visit, bring or make available:

• Insurance information
• Identification
• Referral documents
• Recent laboratory results
• Imaging reports
• Hospital discharge instructions
• Vaccination records
• Family medical history
• Previous diagnoses and operations
• Pharmacy contact information
• Names of other healthcare professionals
• Advance directives when relevant

Ask about accommodations

Before the visit, ask:

• Is an interpreter available?
• Is the office wheelchair accessible?
• Can I receive written information in large print?
• May I bring a support person?
• Can I send my questions through the patient portal beforehand?
• Is a longer appointment available for multiple complex concerns?
• Should I bring my medicines or only a list?
• Do I need to fast or stop any medicine before the visit?

A professional medical interpreter is generally preferable to relying on a child or untrained family member for important medical communication.

Questions about prevention and wellness

Preventive care should be individualized according to age, sex, anatomy, pregnancy status, family history, exposures, previous results, health conditions, and personal risk.

General prevention questions

• What are my most important health risks?
• Which risks can be reduced?
• Am I due for a routine health examination?
• Am I due for any screening tests?
• Which vaccines do I need?
• Should my family medical history change my screening plan?
• Is my blood pressure within a healthy range?
• Should I be screened for high cholesterol or diabetes?
• Are there cancer screenings appropriate for me?
• Do I need screening for osteoporosis?
• Should I be tested for hepatitis, HIV, or another infection?
• Are there preventive medicines I should consider?
• Are any screening tests unlikely to help me?
• When should we review my prevention plan again?

Nutrition and physical activity

• Is my current eating pattern appropriate for my health needs?
• Should I consult a registered dietitian?
• Am I getting adequate protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals?
• Should I limit sodium, sugar, saturated fat, or alcohol?
• Do any of my conditions require dietary changes?
• Could a supplement interact with my medicines?
• What type of physical activity is safe for me?
• How much aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity should I aim for?
• Do I need restrictions because of a heart, lung, joint, or neurological condition?
• How can I begin safely if I am currently inactive?

Sleep and stress

• Am I getting enough sleep?
• Could snoring, gasping, or daytime sleepiness indicate sleep apnea?
• Could a medicine or health condition be disrupting my sleep?
• What healthy sleep habits would be most useful?
• Should I have a sleep evaluation or sleep study?
• How might stress be affecting my physical health?
• What are healthy ways to manage stress?
• Would counseling or another mental-health service help?

Tobacco, alcohol, and substances

• How is tobacco or nicotine affecting my health?
• What treatments can help me stop smoking or vaping?
• Is my alcohol use affecting my medicines, sleep, liver, blood pressure, or mood?
• Could cannabis or another substance interact with treatment?
• Where can I receive confidential help without judgment?

Questions about symptoms

When seeking care for a new or unexplained symptom, ask:

• What are the most likely causes?
• Are there serious causes that need to be ruled out?
• Could this be related to a medicine, supplement, infection, injury, or stress?
• What findings support your current impression?
• Do I need testing now?
• Is watchful waiting reasonable?
• What can I safely do for relief?
• What activities should I avoid?
• How long should improvement take?
• What should I track at home?
• Which warning signs require urgent care?
• When should I contact you if the symptom continues?
• Could this condition affect other people in my household?
• Do I need to stay home from work, school, or public activities?

Useful description: Instead of saying only “I feel bad,” explain what you feel, when it occurs, how long it lasts, what makes it better or worse, and how it limits normal activities.

Questions about a diagnosis

After receiving a new diagnosis, ask:

• What is the exact name of the condition?
• How certain is the diagnosis?
• What evidence supports it?
• Are there alternative diagnoses?
• What caused or contributed to it?
• Is it inherited, contagious, acute, or chronic?
• Is it mild, moderate, or severe?
• What part of the body is affected?
• Could it affect other organs?
• What is the expected course?
• Can it improve, recur, or progress?
• Is it preventable or manageable?
• What complications should I know about?
• What symptoms suggest worsening?
• Should family members be tested or screened?
• Where can I find reliable information?
• Should I see a medical specialist?
• Would a second opinion be useful?

Ask the clinician to write down the diagnosis or provide it through the patient portal so that spelling and terminology are clear.

Questions about medical tests

Before a test, ask:

• Why is this test being recommended?
• What question will the test answer?
• Is the test for screening, diagnosis, monitoring, or treatment planning?
• How accurate is it?
• Can it produce a false-positive or false-negative result?
• Are there alternatives?
• What are the risks?
• Does it involve radiation, contrast material, sedation, or anesthesia?
• How should I prepare?
• Should I fast?
• Should I continue my usual medicines?
• Could pregnancy affect the test?
• Will I be able to drive afterward?
• Where will the test be performed?
• What will it cost?
• When and how will I receive the result?
• Who will explain the result?
• What happens if the result is abnormal?
• What happens if I choose not to have the test?

The National Institute on Aging recommends asking why a test is being performed, how to prepare, what the procedure involves, and when results will be available.

Questions about test results

• Is the result normal, abnormal, or uncertain?
• What is the reference range?
• Does a result outside the reference range necessarily mean disease?
• Has the result changed from previous tests?
• Could medicines, food, exercise, hydration, or timing affect it?
• Does the test need to be repeated?
• Do I need another test to confirm the finding?
• Does this result change my diagnosis or treatment?
• May I receive a copy of the result?
• When should the test be repeated?

A patient portal notification saying that a result is “abnormal” should be interpreted in clinical context. Small differences from a laboratory reference range do not always indicate disease.

Questions about medicines

Before starting or changing a medicine, ask:

• What is the medicine called?
• What condition or symptom is it treating?
• How does it work?
• Is this an approved use or an off-label use?
• What benefit should I expect?
• How long should it take to work?
• How and when should I take it?
• Should it be taken with food?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• How long will I need it?
• What common adverse effects can occur?
• Which adverse effects require urgent attention?
• Can it interact with my other medicines or supplements?
• Can I drink alcohol while taking it?
• Could it affect driving or work?
• Is it safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
• Will I need laboratory monitoring?
• Is there a less expensive generic or therapeutic alternative?
• What should I do if I cannot afford it?
• Can the tablet be split, crushed, or opened?
• How should it be stored?
• What happens if I stop it suddenly?
• How will we determine whether it is working?
• When should we review whether I still need it?

Medication safety: Do not stop insulin, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, seizure medicines, psychiatric medicines, heart medicines, or other important treatments abruptly unless a qualified clinician instructs you to do so.

Medication review questions

At periodic medication reviews, ask:

• Do I still need every medicine on my list?
• Are any medicines duplicating each other?
• Could any medicine be causing fatigue, dizziness, falls, confusion, constipation, or sleep problems?
• Can the regimen be simplified?
• Are there medicines that are no longer appropriate because of age, kidney function, or liver function?
• Can any medicine be safely reduced or discontinued?
• Are there monitoring tests that are overdue?

Tell all healthcare professionals about prescription medicines, nonprescription products, and supplements. This can reduce the risk of drug interactions and medication errors.

Questions about treatment choices

Shared decision-making involves the patient and clinician considering evidence together with the patient’s circumstances, preferences, values, and goals.

Ask:

• What are all reasonable treatment options?
• What happens if we wait?
• What happens if I choose no treatment?
• Which treatment do you recommend, and why?
• What are the expected benefits?
• How likely is the treatment to help?
• What are the possible harms?
• How common are serious complications?
• How soon must I decide?
• Is the treatment intended to cure, control, prevent, or relieve symptoms?
• How will it affect daily life?
• How long will treatment last?
• How will we know whether it is working?
• What happens if the first treatment does not work?
• Is a less invasive option available?
• How much will treatment cost?
• Is prior authorization required?
• Is the treatment available locally?
• Is participation in a clinical trial appropriate?

A useful framework is:

Topic	Question
Benefits	What improvement is realistically expected?
Risks	What harms or complications could occur?
Alternatives	What other choices are available?
No immediate action	What could happen if I wait or decline?
Personal fit	How does this choice fit my goals, health, responsibilities, and preferences?

Questions before a procedure or surgery

Before a procedure, ask:

• Why is the procedure needed?
• How urgent is it?
• What are the alternatives?
• What happens if I delay or decline it?
• Who will perform it?
• How experienced is the clinician with this procedure?
• Where will it be performed?
• Will I need anesthesia or sedation?
• What are the most important risks?
• Could I need a blood transfusion?
• Should I stop any medicines, especially anticoagulants or diabetes medicines?
• When should I stop eating and drinking?
• Will I need someone to take me home?
• How long will recovery take?
• What pain control will be provided?
• What restrictions will apply afterward?
• When can I drive, work, exercise, or travel?
• How should I care for the incision or procedure site?
• Which symptoms require urgent attention?
• Will tissue be sent for pathology?
• When will results be available?
• What follow-up will be required?
• What will my insurance cover?

Before giving informed consent, the patient should have an opportunity to understand the purpose, alternatives, material risks, and expected benefits.

Questions about referrals and specialists

When referred to a specialist, ask:

• Why do I need this referral?
• What question should the specialist answer?
• How urgent is the appointment?
• Which records and images should be sent?
• Does the specialist accept my insurance?
• Will my primary clinician receive the consultation report?
• Who will coordinate treatment?
• Who should refill my medicines?
• Who should I contact if symptoms worsen before the appointment?
• Should I continue seeing both clinicians?
• Would telehealth be appropriate?

At the specialist visit, ask:

• What is your assessment?
• Do you agree with the current diagnosis?
• Are additional tests needed?
• What treatment do you recommend?
• How will this plan be coordinated with my other healthcare professionals?
• When should I return to my primary-care clinician?

Questions about a second opinion

A second opinion may be helpful for:

• A serious or life-changing diagnosis
• Major surgery
• Cancer treatment
• Rare disease
• Irreversible treatment
• Uncertain diagnosis
• Several reasonable treatment options
• Treatment with substantial risks
• Persistent symptoms without explanation

Ask:

• Would a second opinion be helpful?
• How much time do I have to obtain one?
• Can you recommend an appropriate specialist?
• Which records, scans, pathology slides, or test results will be needed?
• Will insurance cover another consultation?
• Will seeking another opinion delay urgent treatment?
• How should conflicting opinions be resolved?

Requesting another opinion does not necessarily mean rejecting the original clinician. MedlinePlus advises bringing medical records, imaging, medication lists, questions, and the original treatment recommendation to a second-opinion visit.

Questions about mental health

Questions may include:

• Could my sleep, concentration, appetite, fatigue, or physical symptoms be related to mental health?
• Could a medical condition or medicine be contributing?
• Should I be screened for depression, anxiety, trauma, or substance use?
• What treatments are available?
• Would psychotherapy help?
• What are the benefits and risks of medication?
• How long might treatment take?
• What should I do if symptoms worsen?
• What crisis resources are available?
• How can family members support me?
• How will my privacy be protected?

Mental-health symptoms are health concerns and should be discussed without shame.

Questions about chronic conditions

For diabetes, hypertension, asthma, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, arthritis, and other long-term conditions, ask:

• What is my treatment goal?
• Which measurements should I track?
• How often do I need laboratory tests?
• What does good control mean for me?
• Which complications are we trying to prevent?
• How often should I have eye, kidney, foot, dental, or other examinations?
• What symptoms suggest worsening?
• When should I use an action plan?
• How can I manage treatment during travel, illness, fasting, or surgery?
• Are my vaccinations current?
• What lifestyle changes have the strongest evidence?
• Which changes are realistic and safe for me?
• Who should I call after office hours?
• How often should the overall plan be reviewed?

Questions for telehealth appointments

Before a telehealth visit, ask:

• Is telehealth appropriate for this concern?
• Will an in-person examination be needed?
• How do I connect securely?
• What should I do if the connection fails?
• Should I measure my temperature, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, or oxygen saturation?
• Should I send photographs or records in advance?
• Who else may be present?
• How is my privacy protected?
• How will prescriptions and test orders be handled?
• What symptoms would require in-person or emergency care?

MedlinePlus describes telehealth as including video or telephone visits, remote monitoring, portal communication, and other technology-supported healthcare services.

Questions for parents and caregivers

Parents and caregivers may ask:

• Is growth and development appropriate?
• Are vaccinations current?
• Are sleep, eating, hearing, vision, behavior, and school performance appropriate?
• Which symptoms should be monitored?
• What medicine dose is correct for the child’s current weight?
• How should the medicine be measured?
• Can the child return to school or childcare?
• Is the illness contagious?
• What should the school nurse know?
• Are developmental, educational, or behavioral assessments needed?
• When should follow-up occur?

Caregivers accompanying an adult should respect the person’s independence, preferences, consent, and privacy.

Before the visit, discuss:

• Which concerns the patient wants addressed
• Who will speak
• Whether the caregiver should remain for the entire visit
• Whether the patient wants private time with the clinician
• What assistance is needed afterward

MedlinePlus recommends planning the caregiver’s role, bringing a complete medication list, prioritizing concerns, and taking notes.

During the appointment

Be honest and specific

Accurate care depends on accurate information. Tell the clinician about:

• Symptoms
• Medication use
• Missed doses
• Diet and activity
• Tobacco, alcohol, and substance use
• Sexual health when relevant
• Pregnancy possibility
• Mental-health symptoms
• Financial or transportation barriers
• Difficulty following the treatment plan
• Use of supplements or alternative therapies

Patients should not simply report what they think the clinician wants to hear. MedlinePlus emphasizes that honest information helps the healthcare professional recommend appropriate care.

Ask for plain language

Useful phrases include:

• “Could you explain that in simpler language?”
• “Could you write down the medical term?”
• “Can you show me on a diagram?”
• “What is the most important thing for me to understand?”
• “Can you give me written instructions?”
• “Where can I find reliable information?”

Use teach-back

Teach-back is a communication method used to confirm understanding.

A patient might say:

“Let me explain the plan in my own words so I can make sure I understood it correctly.”

Then summarize:

• The diagnosis or main concern
• The treatment
• How to take the medicine
• The next test or appointment
• Warning signs
• Who to contact

Teach-back tests the clarity of the explanation, not the intelligence of the patient.

Before leaving the appointment

Confirm:

• What the clinician thinks is happening
• Which tests were ordered
• Which medicines should be started, continued, changed, or stopped
• The correct dose and timing
• Activity or dietary instructions
• Warning signs
• Who to call with questions
• When results should arrive
• How results will be communicated
• Whether a referral is needed
• When follow-up should occur

Ask:

• “What are the next three things I should do?”
• “When should I expect improvement?”
• “What should I do if I am not improving?”
• “Which symptoms mean I should call you?”
• “Which symptoms mean I should go to urgent care or the emergency department?”

After the appointment

After returning home:

1. Review the visit summary.
2. Compare the medication instructions with existing medicines.
3. Schedule tests, referrals, and follow-up.
4. Obtain prescribed medicines.
5. Record important measurements or symptoms.
6. Check the patient portal for results.
7. Contact the office if instructions conflict or remain unclear.
8. Do not assume that “no news is good news” for an expected test result.

Questions after the visit may include:

• Has my test result been reviewed?
• Does the result change the plan?
• Should a test be repeated?
• Did the specialist’s report arrive?
• When should I return?
• Who is responsible for the next step?
• What should I do if insurance does not cover the recommended service?

Printable appointment worksheet

My appointment information
Date and time
Healthcare professional
Reason for visit
My three most important concerns	1. 2. 3.
When symptoms began
What improves or worsens them
Current medicines and supplements
Allergies and previous reactions
Important family history
Questions I want answered	1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Diagnosis or assessment
Tests ordered
Medicines started, stopped, or changed
What I should do next
Warning signs
How results will be communicated
Follow-up date
Who to contact with questions

Questions are welcome

Patients have the right to ask for understandable explanations, participate in decisions, and express concerns respectfully.

A strong patient–clinician relationship is built on:

• Honesty
• Respect
• Listening
• Clear communication
• Shared goals
• Recognition of uncertainty
• Patient preferences
• Evidence-based care
• Appropriate follow-up

Asking questions is not being difficult. It is an important part of informed, safe, and patient-centered healthcare.

See also

• Doctor–patient relationship
• Patient education
• Health literacy
• Preventive healthcare
• Shared decision-making
• Informed consent
• Patient safety
• Medication safety
• Medical diagnosis
• Medical test
• Screening
• Vaccination
• Second opinion
• Telehealth
• Patient portal
• Caregiver
• Advance directive
• Mental health
• Wellness
• Healthy lifestyle
• Medical emergency
• Free medical resources
• WikiMD medical disclaimer

External resources

• MedlinePlus: Talking With Your Doctor
• National Institute on Aging: Medical Care and Appointments
• NIA Talking With Your Doctor Worksheets
• MedlinePlus: Health Checkup
• MedlinePlus: Patient Safety

References