Questions to Ask Your Doctor

A good place to begin shared decision making is to sit down with your doctor or health care provider to discuss your medical condition and options so you can consider them with your own goals and values.

Questions to ask your doctor:

• What are my treatment options? (Remember, choosing to do nothing is also an option.)
• What are the benefits and risks of each option?
• What is the goal of each option - will it treat the condition or improve symptoms?
• What does the research say about the probability of success for each option in situations similar to mine?
• How will each treatment make me feel?
• How long will it take to recover?
• How will it affect my quality of life?
• When do I need to make a decision?
• Can I share with you what is important to me as we talk about these options?
• Where can I find more information about each of these options?

Click here to print a PDF to bring to your appointment.

NOTE: You can also ask your doctor for an opinion on the best treatment option for you - but wait until AFTER asking the questions listed above.

Documents and Forms

New Appointment

• Appointment for a New Problem
• First Appointment

Follow-Up Appointment

• Follow-Up Appointment

Checkup Appointment

• Regular Checkup for a Lifelong Condition
• Regular Checkup for a Child

Medical Questions

• Daily Medicine Form
• Health Questions to ask your Doctor 
• Medical Tests Questions Form
• New Medicines Questions Form
• Serious Illness Conversation Guide
• Surgery Questions Form
• Treatment Questions Form