Checklist

Questions to ask your clinician

Appointments are short, and it is easy to leave without having asked the thing you came for. This checklist helps you gather the facts a clinician will probably want and offers questions you might ask about a symptom, a new medicine or a test. It is for preparing a conversation, not for working out what is wrong.

1. Before the visit: what to write down
2. Questions you might ask about a symptom
3. Questions you might ask about a new medicine
4. At the end of the visit

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Why prepare

A clinician will usually ask when symptoms began, how they have changed, what medicines you take, your history and how life is affected. Having these ready makes a short visit more useful and helps you leave with a plan. Cross out what does not apply and add your own questions. It is always fair to ask the clinician to explain something in plainer words, or to ask what the alternatives are.

A pharmacist can help too

For questions about how to take a medicine, what side effects to expect or whether two products can be used together, a pharmacist is often easy to reach without an appointment. Bring the list from section 1. Our guide on side effects to watch for with a new medication gives general background.

If you feel dismissed or rushed

It is reasonable to say that the problem matters to you, to ask the clinician to write down what was discussed, and to ask what would change their advice. If you are not comfortable with the answer, you can ask for a second opinion. A written record, such as the diary, gives the conversation something concrete to work from.

What this page does not do

It does not suggest treatments, doses or medicines, and it does not tell you what a clinician will conclude. Do not start, stop or change any medicine because of something on this page.

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Where this comes from

The list of things to note before a visit, such as symptom timing, medicines, allergies and history, reflects what general patient-education material widely suggests preparing. The questions are general prompts written for this page, not clinical guidance or a quotation from any body.