Questions You Should Always Ask
Important Questions to Ask
To maximize your contribution to health care for your loved one, it is important that you understand both current and planned treatments and results. You are most likely a lay person without a sophisticated medical background. You should seek answers to your questions until you are satisfied. It may be a stressful or intimidating environment, but no one cares more about the patient than you. It is part of the job responsibilities of the doctors and nurses to answer your questions.
Depending on the patient's condition, there are also some questions a patient should ask of his or herself. If the patient does not currently have a life-threatening condition, address only the questions that are appropriate. There is obviously no reason to unduly alarm the patient. Anxiety is counterproductive to recovery. However, patients have every right to know the extent of their illness. Particularly if the prognosis is unfavorable, you might consider sharing some or all of these questions with the patient.
Finally, regarding questions for yourself, we have provided some guidance to assist you.
The questions in each of the following sections are all general in nature and have been provided to help you make a positive contribution to the care and best possible outcome for your loved one.Additional Information
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