How to ask your doctor questions, Dr. Garren

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

All of us want to get the most out of our visits with our healthcare providers. Larry Meiller gets tips on how to talk with our doctor, and important questions we should ask.

Featured in this Show

  • Knowing How To Ask Questions At A Medical Appointment Is Key

    We all count on getting good healthcare, and hopefully, we have a lot of confidence in the medical professionals who are providing it. But even with the best doctors, there are times when we want, or really need, to ask questions. And while it sounds simple, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to get the answers we need.

    Dr. Michael Garren is a Clinical Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. In thinking about how communication works best between a patient and doctor, he tries to meet the patient more than halfway. For instance, he tailors his conversations with patients to try and anticipate what questions a person may have. But what about when the doctor is not as focused on making sure that the patient gets the information they need?

    Most of us are aware that doctors are busy, people and we may be hesitant to “bother” them as a result. Does Dr. Garren think his colleagues mind getting asked questions? “I wish I could answer that with a resounding, ‘no! They don’t mind,’ Garren says. But even he himself as a patient has sometimes felt that he didn’t get the information he wanted from a medical provider.

    A common experience is needing to find a new doctor, whether by choice, or because of a change in insurance. When it’s for a primary care provider, Garren emphasizes that it’s going to be a long-term relationship, so you want to be sure that it is someone with whom you feel comfortable both giving and receiving information.

    Other than word of mouth from other people whose opinions you trust, it can be hard to know if it’s a good communication fit when you choose the doctor initially. It will be hard to know for sure until you actually meet him/her. Garren thinks that first visit is very important, and recommends bringing up the topic of communication directly. He says that patients should ask the doctor if they encourage questions, and what method of communication they are most likely to respond to, including email and other electronic means. “Those are all things to figure out early, and to make sure that it goes along with your ideas of what you need from your physician.”

    Even once you’ve settled into a relationship with a doctor, the work doesn’t stop there. Garren emphasizes that patients really need to become comfortable with advocating for themselves. “That’s what I think is absolutely key in any doctor-patient relationship,” he says. One way to do that is to prepare in advance for all appointments. “It’s an absolutely crucial thing to do.”

    Bringing someone along to an appointment can help a lot, too. Not only can they serve as a second set of ears, but they can also be the more forceful advocate if needed. That keeps the relationship between the doctor and patient a little simpler. Garren says he is always open to have someone accompany a patient, and is happy when they are ready with “a legal pad and a pen, ready to write down answers and have questions written down.” That additional person is likely less stressed than the patient, which is also a plus.

    One of the most difficult conversations that a patient might have with a doctor is telling them that they’d like to get a second opinion. But Garren feels strongly that any doctor should be open to that and welcome that discussion, and that a good professional is not going to be angry or offended when a patient brings that up. “When patients bring up the idea of a second opinion to me,” he says, “my retort is ‘if you ever go to a physician who says you don’t need a second opinion, that’s when you do need a second opinion.’” Even though insurance coverage might make that more difficult than it should be, Garren feels that the conversation is vital to have.

    A listener who identified herself as Barb from Caledonia, Minnesota, called to share an anecdote. When her teen-aged son was taken in for an emergency appendectomy, she asked the surgeon how many times he had performed that procedure, and if he felt fatigued. She recounts that he was very gracious and told her that he had performed them before, but added, “Ma’am, we’re all fatigued.” He offered that she could have another doctor if she wanted to, but she told him that she had heard on the TV show 60 Minutes that she should ask those types of questions. Barb says that feeling empowered to ask those questions helped to put her at ease in a stressful situation. Garren agrees that asking those types of questions are the perfect way to open those channels of communication.

    Even if we go into an appointment well-prepared, there are inevitably time when we feel like the doctor is rushing, and we don’t get the information the first time. Garren says first of all, tell the doctor! He thinks doctors probably don’t get that feedback enough. He also shares that writing things down can help you get to your main concerns right away so that they don’t get skipped or forgotten. “I think the worst thing is to walk out of a visit and realize that something has gone completely unnoticed that you wanted to talk about” he says.

    Doing some research in advance can also help you to focus your questions and use your time with the doctor wisely. Of course, there is a lot of bad information on the Internet as well. So use reputable sites like the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Episode Credits

  • Michael Garren Guest