Talk To Your Doctor!

There is a great ad campaign out right now that talks about how inquisitive we are with our other service providers and how we don't ask our doctor's anything.  Selling your home, whether it is worth $100,000 or a million dollars has you asking all sorts of great questions.  Surgery is almost always a scary prospect to confront, but our response is usually "Okay" insteady of "Why".  Taking medication is not something to take lightly, no pun intended.  Accepting advice on your diet and/or your weight will have life-long results.  After I saw the commercials for the umpteenth time, I logged onto the website.  I found the 10 most-recommended questions to share with you.  Read on, because I found something even better. 

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is behind the ad campaign.  They call it "Question The Answer".  Their website is not very user-friendly.  Honestly, they should have talked to my trusted web designers at Systems One Consulting (marc@sysone.cc), but I spent some time on the site and got this valuable information for you.

Here is the list they refer to on their commercials; the list you should have in your pocket.  It's a list of questions that every medical professional can answer for you.

1.  What is the test for?

2.  How many times have you done this?

3.  When will I get the results?

4.  Why do I need this surgery?

5.  Are there any alternatives to surgery?

6.  What are the possible complications?

7.  Which hospital is best for my needs?

8.  How do you spell the name of that drug?

9.  Are there any side effects?

10. Will this medicine interact with medicines that I'm already taking?

If you want to take your 10 Questions to a whole new level, try their Question Builder.  I thought it was great:  http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/questionBuilder.aspx  

When I used the question builder, I came up with a set of questions unique to me.

1. Can I take a generic version of this medicine?
2. Can I stop taking my medicine if I feel better?
3. Can I get a refill?
4. Does this new prescription mean I should stop taking any other medicines I'm taking now?
5. Can I take vitamins with my prescription?
6. What is my prognosis (outlook for the future)?
7. Which hospital has the best care for my condition?
8. Is this hospital covered by my health insurance?
9. How does the hospital compare with others in my area?
10. Does my clinician have privileges (is allowed to work) at this hospital? I recommend you try it!

Try it for yourself right now:  Question Builder