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What to Ask Your Doctor

By Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT

If you want to make an informed treatment decision, you will need to ask your doctor many questions, especially those listed below. The answers to these will complement the answers to questions in Personal Values, Cures, and Healing and will help you make a decision that reflects your specific needs and values.

Please Note: We recommend you print this page and check each item you have already discussed with your doctor, unless it clearly does not apply to you. Then take this with you when you go for your next visit and cover the items you haven't yet checked. Yes, by asking so many questions you may feel you're taking up the doctor's time, but the decisions you make will be used on YOUR body. So you may want to call the office and ask for a longer than normal session so you can have time to get all the answers you need.

General Questions

What specific disease do I have and what are the various technical names given for it? (This will greatly help you research information the the Internet).

What procedure do you recommend for my type and stage of cancer and why?

Why do you feel that particular treatment would be better than any other treatment?

What kind of reasonable time-frame do I have to decide what I want without jeopardizing effective treatment?

What do latest research findings suggest?

What are my chances with this treatment?

What are all the potential short-term and long-term risks?

Is there a non-standard therapy I can use in conjunction with regular treatment?

How will a complementary therapy affect a mainstream treatment?

What is likely to happen if I decide not to undergo the treatment you recommend?

How much of the cost does my insurance plan cover?

How were the statistics for survival arrived at for the treatment you suggest?

Where do you recommend I can go for a second opinion? (If the answer implies you don't need a second opinion, seriously consider getting another doctor.)

What is the goal of the treatment you recommend, that is, do you believe it will cure me or if that is impossible, in your view, do you assume my disease will become a chronic condition?

What restrictions should I make to my diet during or after treatment, and if I have special dietary needs, can you recommend a nutrition specialist?

What are the most likely side effects that might occur during or after a diagnostic test or treatment and the symptoms that would signal such an event?

What can you and I do to lessen side effects of treatment and the symptoms of my condition?

What tests and treatments will hurt or be uncomfortable and what can we do to prevent or lessen that discomfort?

Are there any short-term and long-term risks for tests or treatment you recommend, such as infertility or scarring and what can we do to prevent or lessen those complications?

What can I do during treatment to prevent infections and avoid contagious diseases?

What special precautions should I take to keep my blood count within reasonable levels and what symptoms might indicate I have an infection?

Is there is any printed material available on the drug I am taking?

What specific instructions can you give concerning medication, such as whether I should take the entire prescription or only use it until I feel better and under what circumstances should I get a prescription refilled?

Special Questions for Surgery

If you've been told you "must" have surgery, you need answers to the following questions if you're to agree wholeheartedly to the operation. That way, when you decide to proceed, you will more likely be able to tolerate any discomfort or pain that may arise and can enter into the procedure with greater confidence. (See Experiencing Medical Procedures as Healing Adventures.)

Why do I need this operation?

What will happen if I don't have surgery now?

When does it have to be performed?

Are there any alternatives?

Do you mind if I get a second opinion? (As above, if the answer implies you don't need a second opinion, seriously consider getting another doctor. No one is always right.)

Can something less invasive be tried first?

How will it help me?

How often have you performed this operation?

What is the success rate?

What are the risks, including risk of death and non-lethal complications?

What are my options for anesthesia?

Can I do this as an outpatient?

Will you allow me to use a relaxation tape in the operating room?

Will you allow me to have a personal healer/guide who has been working with me in the operating room?

Should I continue taking my usual medications before or after surgery?

How long before surgery should I not eat or drink?

Who else will be involved on the surgical team?

How long will recovery take?

What can I do to speed recovery?

When should I be able to return to work and normal activities?

When will you or other members of the surgical team visit me in the hospital?

What symptoms of recovery do you consider complications?

© Copyright 1998, Revised 2002, Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT