About Your Symptoms or Diagnosis
- What is the disease or condition?
- How serious is my disease or condition and how will it affect my home and work life?
- What is the short-term and long-term prognosis for my disease or condition?
- What caused the disease or condition?
- Is there more than one disease or condition that could be causing my symptoms?
- Should I be tested for a certain disease or condition?
- What symptoms should I watch for?
- How can I be tested for a disease or condition, and what will these tests tell me?
- What tests will be involved in diagnosing my disease or condition?
- How safe and accurate are the tests?
- When will I know the test’s results?
- Will I need more medical tests?
- Do I need a follow-up visit and if so, when?
- Do I need to take precautions to avoid infecting others?
- How is the disease or condition treated?
About Your Treatment:
- What are my treatment options?
- How long will the treatment take?
- What is the cost of the treatment?
- Which treatment is most common for my disease or condition?
- Is there a generic form of my treatment and is it as effective?
- What side effects can I expect?
- What risks and benefits are associated with the treatment?
- What would happen if I didn’t have any treatment?
- What would happen if I delay my treatment?
- Is there anything I should avoid during treatment
- What should I do if I have side effects?
- How will I know if the medication is working?
- What would I do if I miss a dose of medication?
- Will my job or lifestyle be affected?
- What is my short-term and long-term prognosis?
If You Need Surgery:
- Why do I need surgery?
- What surgical procedure are you recommending?
- Is there more than one way of performing this surgery?
- Are there alternatives to surgery?
- How much will surgery cost?
- What are the benefits of having surgery?
- What are the risks of having surgery?
- What if I don’t have this surgery?
- Where can I get a second opinion?
- What kind of anesthesia will I need?
- How long will it take me to recover?
- What are your qualifications?
- How much experience do you have performing this surgery?
- How long will I be in the hospital?
