Questions Caregivers Need to Ask at Doctor Appointments
Questions Caregivers Need to Ask at Doctor Appointments Medical
What illness or condition does/could my loved one have? How is the condition or illness diagnosed? What are the treatment options? What is the most effective treatment? What are the causes of this condition or illness? What is likely to happen with and without treatment? Are there common complications associated with this illness or condition? Medications What is the name of the medicine you are prescribing? What is its benefit? Is a generic drug available? What are the risks and side effects? How often should my loved one take the drug? How long should he take the drug? What foods, other medicines or activities should he avoid while taking this drug? Could this medicine interact with any medications he’s currently taking? Diet and Exercise Are there foods that my loved one should avoid? Should my loved one eat more of a certain type of food? Do you recommend vitamins or supplements? How often should my loved one exercise? What types of exercise are safe? What types of exercise are not safe? Tests Are tests necessary? What will they show? What preparation is needed? When will we get the results? What do the test results mean? Surgeries Why does my loved one need surgery? How is the surgery performed? Where will the surgery be performed? Are there alternatives to surgery? What risks are associated with this operation? What kind of anesthesia will be used? What is the average recovery time? How much experience do you have performing this type of surgery? Costs What costs can we expect? Will my loved one’s insurance cover this test or treatment? What can we do to reduce costs? Written Instructions Do you have any written information that we can take home? Follow-Up Care Is a follow-up visit necessary? If so, when should we follow up? If we think of questions later, how can we contact you?
Questions to Ask the Doctor
Getty Images Trips to the doctor’s office can leave you harried and overwhelmed. As a result, important questions can be forgotten. Here is a list of suggested questions to consider bringing with you to your loved one’s next appointment. AARP Membership: Symptoms Here are the symptoms my mother is experiencing. What could be causing them? DiagnosesWhat illness or condition does/could my loved one have? How is the condition or illness diagnosed? What are the treatment options? What is the most effective treatment? What are the causes of this condition or illness? What is likely to happen with and without treatment? Are there common complications associated with this illness or condition? Medications What is the name of the medicine you are prescribing? What is its benefit? Is a generic drug available? What are the risks and side effects? How often should my loved one take the drug? How long should he take the drug? What foods, other medicines or activities should he avoid while taking this drug? Could this medicine interact with any medications he’s currently taking? Diet and Exercise Are there foods that my loved one should avoid? Should my loved one eat more of a certain type of food? Do you recommend vitamins or supplements? How often should my loved one exercise? What types of exercise are safe? What types of exercise are not safe? Tests Are tests necessary? What will they show? What preparation is needed? When will we get the results? What do the test results mean? Surgeries Why does my loved one need surgery? How is the surgery performed? Where will the surgery be performed? Are there alternatives to surgery? What risks are associated with this operation? What kind of anesthesia will be used? What is the average recovery time? How much experience do you have performing this type of surgery? Costs What costs can we expect? Will my loved one’s insurance cover this test or treatment? What can we do to reduce costs? Written Instructions Do you have any written information that we can take home? Follow-Up Care Is a follow-up visit necessary? If so, when should we follow up? If we think of questions later, how can we contact you?