Your appointment - how do you make the most of it?
Making an informed choice about what’s right for you.
Questions to ask your healthcare practitioner e.g. doctor, nurse, pharmacist
- What are my options?
- What are the pros and cons of these options? (benefits and risks)
- How likely are these to happen?
- What will happen if I choose to do nothing?
- What else do I need to know and understand before making my decision?
... it’s okay to ask!
There can be a lot of information to take in when you first hear the diagnosis
There may be more information about medication you are given or about what happens next
Coming to terms with what you’ve heard, understanding this and asking the right questions, can be challenging.
Here are some things that you can do, to make this easier:
- Have someone else there to listen as well
- Plan the questions to ask
- Write the questions and answers down
- Use the questions in this leaflet as a way of getting started.
Ask the questions you need to about your care
Ask for available (written) information e.g. about the condition and any patient support groups you can contact
Ask for the information to be repeated so that you understand.
It takes confidence to ask the questions. It’s okay to ask.