|
|
Knowing
about your disease or condition is one of the first steps in understanding what
can be done to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Many of your questions can be answered
by your doctor. Below is a sample list of questions that can aid you in learning
about your condition or disease. General
Information
- What do you think is causing my problem?
- Is there more than
one condition or disease that could be causing my problem?
- What tests
will you do to diagnose the problem?
- How good are the tests for diagnosing
the problem and the conditions?
- What is the likely course of this condition?
What is the long-term outlook with and without treatment?
- If my symptoms
worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?
- Should
I watch for any particular symptoms and notify you if they occur?
- Are
you aware of each of the medications that I am taking? Can they adversely interact
with the medications you are prescribing for me?
- Should we monitor for
side effects of the medications that you are prescribing or for their interactions
with other medications I am taking?
- Can my condition be treated?
- How
will this condition affect me now and in the future?
- Should I make changes
in my lifestyle?
- What over-the-counter medications should I avoid?
Blood
Pressure
- How often should I have my blood pressure
checked?
- What should my blood pressure be?
Cancer
- What type of cancer do I have? What is the stage or extent of my cancer?
-
What is my prognosis?
- What treatment do you recommend? Why?
- What
is the goal of treatment; cure or control of my symptoms?
- What are the
possible risks or side effects of treatment?
- What are the pros and cons
of my treatment?
- Are there other treatments for me to consider?
-
How often will I need to come in for treatment or tests?
- How long will
my treatments last?
- Will my life change? Will I need to make changes
in my work, family life, and leisure time?
- What are the names of the
medicines I will take? What are they for?
- How will you know that my treatment
is working?
- If other specialists take part in my care, who will coordinate
my entire treatment program?
- What symptoms or problems should I report
right away?
- If I do not feel sick, does that mean the treatment is not
working?
- What are the chances that my cancer may recur (come back), with
the treatment programs we have discussed?
- What can I do to be ready for
treatment?
- Are there any special foods I should or should not eat?
- Can
I drink alcoholic beverages?
- What is the best time to call you if I have
a question?
Diabetes
- What is the right weight for me?
- What kinds and amounts of food are
right for me?
- If you take medicine for diabetes:
How much medicine should I take? When should I take it?
- If you smoke:
What can I do that will help me stop smoking?
- How should I take care of
my feet? How do I check for loss of feeling in my feet? If there is loss of feeling,
you should report it to your doctor.
Leukemia
- Exactly what kind of leukemia does
me or my child have?
- What are the prognostic features?
- What are the treatment choices?
- What do you recommend, and why?
- What side effects are there to the treatments that you recommend?
- What is me or my child's outlook for survival?
- What can
be done to help reduce the side effects from the chemotherapy?
- What
are the chances that the leukemia will come back once me or my child is in remission?
Surgery
- What operation are you recommending?
- Why do I need the operation?
- Are there alternatives to surgery?
- What are the benefits of
having the operation?
- What are the risks of having the operation?
- What
if I don't have this operation?
- Where can I get a second opinion?
- What
has been your experience in doing the operation?
- Where will the operation
be done?
- What kind of anesthesia will I need?
- How long will
it take me to recover?
- How much will the operation cost?
- How old is the doctor?
Tests
- What kind of tests will I have?
- What do you expect to find out from these
tests?
- When will I know the results?
- Do I have to do anything special
to prepare for any of these tests?
- Do these tests have any side effects or
risks?
- Will I need more tests later?
Treatment
- What is the treatment for my condition?
- When will the treatment start
and how long will it last?
- What are the benefits of this treatment, and how
successful is it?
- What are the risks and side effects associated with this
treatment?
- Are there foods, drugs, or activities I should avoid while I am
on this treatment?
- If my treatment includes taking a medicine, what should
I do if I miss a dose?
- Are other treatments available?
Women's
Health
- How often do I need a mammogram?
- How often do I need a Pap test?
|
|
