When a health provider asks this, it's sometimes hard to know how to answer — or where to start.
But asking questions is an important part of taking charge of your health care. These Mayo Clinic providers name the top questions they wish their patients would ask more often.
We asked Mayo Clinic experts: What do you wish patients would ask you more often?
Keith A. Josephs, M.D.: I wish patients would ask me more often about sleep: difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. There are so many things that can be done for sleep that do not require a prescription.
Carrie A. Krieger, Pharm.D., R.Ph.: Do I really need all these medications and supplements? There are times when I feel that patients really take more than they need, especially when it comes to vitamins and supplements.
Shawna L. Ehlers, Ph.D., L.P.: My patients ask me about how to avoid thinking about cancer. My response is don't avoid thinking about it. Allow those thoughts to be present. They honor things that are important to you. And talking about them and thinking about them is going to be helpful to you.
Dr. Krieger: The other question that I think of is, "What can I do besides take medication to help treat my symptoms?" What are other things that a patient can use in place of taking medication?
Omar M. Ghanem, M.D.: I wish our patients asked us more, "How many surgeries have you done of this surgery before?" What is really special about Mayo Clinic is that we are able to operate on these pathologies very successfully because we see them all the time.
Flora R. Howie, M.D.: Let's say I've given a diagnosis. The first thing I usually say is, "Is this a surprise to you?" Then I will say, "Questions?" And then I find out what they want to know. And that's what I'm there for.
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