Talking With Your Doctor

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools
• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

How well you and your doctor communicate with each other is one of the most important parts of getting good health care. Being prepared can help make the most of your visit. Here are some things you can bring:

• Lists of your concerns, any allergies and all the medicines, herbs, or vitamins you take
• A description of symptoms - when they started, what makes them better
• A trusted friend or family member
• A way to take notes during your appointment

Make sure you understand your diagnosis and any treatments. Ask your health care provider to write down his or her instructions to you. If you still have trouble understanding, ask where you can go for more information.

Start Here

• Questions to Ask Your Doctor (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• Talking to Your Doctor (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
• Talking to Your Doctor (National Institutes of Health)
• Talking with Your Doctor: Make the Most of Your Appointment (National Institutes of Health)
• Tips for Talking to Your Doctor (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Your Doctors and Other Caregivers (Joint Commission) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

• Time To Talk with Your Health Care Providers: 4 Tips to Start the Conversation (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Related Issues

• Be More Involved in Your Health Care: Tips for Patients (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
• Communicating with Professionals (American Heart Association)
• Getting a Second Opinion Before Surgery (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF
• Living Well with a Serious Illness: Talking with Your Doctor When the Future Is Uncertain (American College of Physicians) - PDF
• Telehealth: When Technology Meets Health Care (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Telemedicine (Nemours Foundation)

Health Check Tools

• How to Prepare for a Doctor's Appointment (National Institute on Aging)
• Question Builder: Be Prepared for Your Next Medical Appointment (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

Videos and Tutorials

• Understanding Medical Words: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nurse-Patient Relations (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Physician-Patient Relations (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Facebook friend request from a patient.
• Article: Assuming the worst.
• Article: I welcomed the inane chatter during a procedure.
• Talking With Your Doctor -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Some Common Abbreviations (National Library of Medicine)
• Word Parts and What They Mean (National Library of Medicine)

Children

• Talking to the Pharmacist (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Talking to Your Child's Doctor (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• I'm a Guy. How Can I Talk to My Female Doctor about Certain Things? (Nemours Foundation)
• Talking to Your Doctor (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Working with doctors and nurses (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Older Adults

• Discussing Financial and Life Changes with Your Doctor (National Institute on Aging)
• Living with Multiple Health Problems: What Older Adults Should Know (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
• Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People (National Institute on Aging) - PDF
• Tips for Talking with Your Doctor (National Institute on Aging) - PDF

Patient Handouts

• Make the most of your doctor visit (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Shared decision making (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Telehealth (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish