When you go to the doctor, you’re probably the one answering most of the questions. Yet it’s essential to make sure you're asking plenty of your own. “We need to get someone to fund a bazillion-dollar PSA to tell people to be bolder when they talk to their doctors,” says Risa Arin, founder and CEO of XpertPatient, a patient education platform. “I see this over and over again: People aren’t asking any questions, never mind the right ones.”
We asked experts to share the questions you should ask your doctor to help you get well or stay that way.
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“What screenings should I get?”
Exactly which health screenings you need, and when, depends on factors like age, sex, personal medical history, and family history. When you’re at your annual physical, ask your doctor what you should prioritize in the coming year, so you can be certain you don’t miss anything, suggests Dr. Jessica Edwards, founder and CEO of Zara Medical, a hybrid primary care practice. Screening yearly for mental health disorders like depression is important, too—so if your doctor doesn't bring it up, initiate the conversation yourself, she advises.
“What vitamins and supplements might be helpful?”
Some vitamins and supplements are a waste of money. Others could be harmful. And then there are the ones that could actually benefit your health. To figure out which is which, ask your doctor, Edwards advises. “It matters because if you live in an area that isn't sunny, you should take vitamin D,” she says. “If you’re a vegetarian, you might need to supplement vitamin B12.”
Talking through your lab reports and specific concerns can help your doctor determine which vitamins and supplements might be appropriate, while helping you steer clear of the choices that could jeopardize your health.
“How many people with my condition have you treated?”
When you receive a new diagnosis, ask your doctor if they've treated similar patients, Arin suggests. If the answer is no, she likes asking this follow-up: “Is there someone in the region who is an expert in this condition who you could refer me to?” When you’re dealing with a rare or complex disease, it’s often worth traveling farther away to see someone with more expertise. How your doctor responds to this conversation will help shine light on the best way to proceed, Arin says.
“What are my treatment options, and how do they compare?”
People often focus treatment questions on efficacy, but quality of life matters, too. For example: Will you need to take a daily pill—or arrange childcare, transportation, and time off work for a monthly infusion? Will you experience a weakened immune system, constant fatigue, or shaky hands that interfere with your love of knitting? Different treatment options come with “very different side effects and life experiences,” Arin points out, and influence which makes the most sense for you.
Read More: 8 Ways to Shorten Your Wait for a Doctor’s Appointment
Your personal goals matter, too. Arin recalls a friend’s father who had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and told his doctor he wanted to spend his final six months doing what he loved: going to the opera as often as possible. “He had to be able to stay awake at night—he couldn’t be knocked out and exhausted,” she says. “The doctors had to think, ‘OK, here’s this wonderful man. He’s in a terrible situation. How can we help him enjoy opera?’ It set such a different tone for figuring out treatment.”
“Are there any new treatments, clinical trials, or emerging research that apply to my condition?”
The amount of innovation occurring every day in medicine is “mindboggling,” says Dr. Kate Burke, a longtime emergency medicine physician who’s a senior medical advisor for PatientsLikeMe, a health empowerment community. “We’re living through a period where there’s rapid change, and conditions that historically did not have treatments or opportunities for getting better now do,” she says. Plus, if you ask this question and your doctor starts sputtering, with a glazed look on his face, that’s a helpful tell that you might want to consider seeking care elsewhere.
“What should I do if my symptoms get worse or don’t improve?”
Whether you’re at the doctor because you’re struggling with allergies, broke a bone, or are recovering from surgery, it’s essential to find out when you should start to feel better—and what kind of red flags could signal the need for more care. As Burke puts it: “If you see this, then do that.” Your doctor can tell you exactly when you should call her office or go to the emergency department—while setting your expectations for what kind of symptoms are simply part of the healing process.
“When can I expect my test results, and how will I receive them?”
If days tick by with no news about your imaging scans or blood work, your mind may dart into dark places. To ease some of that anxiety, ask your doctor when to expect results, advises Dr. Manar Harmouch, a family medicine and primary care physician with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group. That way, you’ll know certain labs take longer to process than others, and that the radio silence doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad. Find out, too, whether the results will be shared in your online portal, via a phone call, or at a follow-up appointment—and what to do if you don’t receive them when you’re supposed to, Harmouch says.
“Can you explain that in a way that’s easier to understand?”
Doctors are fluent in medicalese—and no matter how much time you spend in health care settings, it can be difficult to translate. That’s why Burke recommends always asking for simpler terms that you can truly grasp. “The clinician wants you to understand what they’re trying to tell you,” she says. “You can just be like, ‘Dr. Burke, you need to use words I can really understand,’ and then we’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’m really sorry about that. Let me slow down and try again.’”
“What kind of financial support is available?”
Always ask how your insurance will affect treatment expenses; if something isn’t covered, your doctor might be able to suggest cost-effective alternatives. It’s also a good idea to start a conversation about more out-of-the-box ways to chip away at medical bills, especially if you’re dealing with an ongoing illness. “There's a lot of financial support available, both from pharmaceutical companies and advocacy groups,” Arin says.
“If this were your family member, what would you do?”
Tap into your doctor’s empathy—and center yourself as a husband, mother, child, or grandparent, not just the sixth patient on a busy day. When Burke taught medical school students how to communicate well with their patients, she challenged them to look their patients in the eye and say: “If you were my sister, this is what I would do.”
Read More: 8 Symptoms Doctors Often Dismiss As Anxiety
“Medicine isn’t always straightforward,” she adds. “Sometimes doctors have to make decisions that are very difficult.” Treating the people on the exam table in front of them as they would a loved one can help ensure they’re using their best judgment—a win for both clinicians and patients.
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