Questions to ask your doctor

Most people know the feeling: you think of three questions in the car on the way home that you meant to ask in the room. It happens even more to caregivers, who are keeping track of someone else's visit while helping them in and out of a chair, finding the insurance card and listening at the same time. A page of questions written the week before, with a box beside each one for the answer, is what this page is for. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) suggests making a list of what you want to discuss and bringing up the most important things first.

Before the visit: what goes on the list?

Start with your own concerns, in your own words. These are the questions only you can write. Then, if it helps, borrow from the lists below.

1. Write questions down as they come up, during the days before, not the night before. Our page says so at the top for that reason.
2. Put them in order, most important first. If time runs short, the one that matters most has been asked.
3. Keep each question short: one question to a box, so the answer has somewhere to go.
4. Add what has changed since the last visit. The NIA suggests telling the doctor what has happened since then; a daily caregiver log is where those days are already written.
5. Bring the medicine list, with every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement. Our free large-print medication list has room for seven.
6. Bring any home readings the doctor asked for, such as a blood pressure log.

If you would rather pick questions from a list on your phone, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a free QuestionBuilder app, also online, for choosing or writing questions before a visit.

Questions about a new problem

When something new is going on, the NIA suggests making notes before you call or visit, and asking yourself a few questions so you can describe it clearly:

• What exactly is happening?
• Is it there all the time? If not, when does it happen?
• Does anything make it better, or worse?
• Does it get in the way of everyday things? Which ones?

Write the answers on the page too. A doctor's first questions are often the same ones.

Questions about a test

• What is this test for?
• What do we need to do to get ready for it?
• How and when will we get the results, and who do we call if we haven't heard?

Questions about a new medicine

• What is it called, and how is the name spelled?
• What is it for?
• When and how is it taken, and for how long?
• Does it change anything on the current medicine list?
• What should we write down at home, if anything?

Write the answers in the box beside each question, then update the medication list the same day. The National Institute on Aging reminds people to tell the doctor about every medicine they take, including vitamins, eye drops and supplements, which is why the list goes with you.

Questions about a plan the doctor suggests

When the doctor suggests a procedure, a course of medicine or another plan, the NIA's list of questions about the options covers four things, here in our words:

• Are there any risks?
• How soon should it start, and how long will it last?
• Are there other choices?
• How much will it cost, and will insurance cover it?

Questions for a specialist

The NIA's questions for a specialist, also in our words:

• What is the condition called, and what does it mean for daily life?
• What do you recommend, and how soon should it start?
• Will you talk with my primary doctor about my care?

Questions a caregiver can add

When you go to a visit with a parent, a partner or a friend, a few questions are about how the care at home will work.

• Who do we call with a question after today, and what is the best number?
• Can you write down what we should do at home?
• When is the next appointment, and what should we bring to it?
• Is there anything you would like us to keep a record of between visits?

If the person you care for finds talking or hearing hard, say so when you book, and again at the start. The NIA suggests telling the doctor and staff about any trouble seeing or hearing, for example asking them to speak slowly and face the person. You can also ask:

• Could you speak to her directly, and give her time to answer?
• Could we have a longer appointment next time?
• Can you show us on paper, or with a picture?

At the visit

1. Bring the page, and glasses and hearing aids.
2. Ask the most important question first, at the start of the visit, not at the door.
3. Write each answer in the box beside its question, or ask the person with you to write while you listen. The NIA notes that a family member or friend can take notes and help you remember what the doctor said.
4. Ask for it again, or to spell a word, if you didn't catch it.
5. Read your notes back before you leave: "So the new tablet is once a day, in the morning?"
6. Ask for written directions. The NIA suggests having the doctor give directions in writing.

When you are the caregiver in the room

The visit belongs to the person you came with. The NIA's advice to the person being seen is to tell their companion in advance how to help, and not to let the companion take too strong a role. They may also want some time alone with the doctor.

1. Write the list together, in their words where you can.
2. Let them speak first, and add what they leave out only if they want you to.
3. Talk to them, not about them, and ask the doctor to do the same.
4. Step out if they ask for time alone.

After the visit

1. Copy what was decided into the binder the same day, while it is fresh.
2. Update the medicine list, and start a new week of the daily medication log if anything changed.
3. Put the next appointment on the calendar and in the binder.
4. Start next time's page now, with any question you thought of on the way home.

What this page is not

It is a blank form for your questions and the answers you are given. The questions above are examples, not advice: what is right for one person is for their own doctor, nurse or pharmacist to say. Our page of printable forms for family caregivers lists the questions page with the medication list, the care log and the emergency sheet.

Our Caregiver Binder has this questions page with nine rows, plus pages for before and after a doctor visit (the reason for the visit, changes since the last one, notes and what was decided), an appointments page, a daily care log, an emergency sheet, phone numbers, an about me page, a pain and symptoms page, the blood pressure log and the medication list and log.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask my doctor?

Start with your own concerns, most important first. Then add questions about anything new: for a test, what it is for and when the results come; for a new medicine, what it is for, how the name is spelled and how it is taken; for any plan the doctor suggests, the risks, how long it lasts, other choices and the cost.

Should I bring a list of questions to the doctor?

Yes. The National Institute on Aging suggests making a list of what you want to discuss and bringing up the most important items first. Write the list in the days before the visit, and leave room to write each answer.

What questions should a caregiver ask the doctor?

Who to call with questions after the visit, what to do at home, what to keep a record of between visits, and when the next appointment is. If the person finds talking or hearing hard, ask the doctor to speak to them directly and give them time to answer.

Can I ask the doctor to write the answers down?

Yes. The National Institute on Aging suggests asking the doctor for directions in writing. You can also ask a family member or friend to come along and take notes.

Is there a free printable list of questions for the doctor?

Yes. Doctor Carissa's free questions page is a one-page large-print PDF in US Letter and A4, sent by email, with eight numbered question boxes and an answer box beside each. The National Institute on Aging also publishes free worksheets for talking with your doctor.