Questions like these may be uncomfortable to answer. But when your health provider asks, it's for a good reason. Watch these Mayo Clinic experts share why they ask such personal questions — and why honesty is the best policy.
Mayo Clinic experts explain: Why you should answer health questions honestly?
Shawna L. Ehlers, Ph.D., L.P.: When we ask private questions, it's because they're related to your care.
Melissa K. Erdman, P.A.-C.: One of the things that your health care provider will ask you may be uncomfortable to discuss, such as substance intake whether that's alcohol, tobacco or other substances like marijuana. Or even perhaps your sexual activity. These things, though uncomfortable, are very important to answer honestly because they can affect your health. They can affect the way we take care of you.
Jennifer J. Rand, R.N.: If you have taken any kind of narcotic or street drug or something that hasn't been prescribed to you, it could interfere with the medication that we give you. So it's very important for us to know what we're combining inside your system.
Dr. Ehlers: If I understand somebody's tobacco use, I can advise them on best treatments. Somebody who is actively smoking is different from somebody who quit last year.
Timothy I. Morgenthaler, M.D.: We all have a lot of things we don't want everybody to know. But there's more or less of an expectation, if you want the best care, then you're going to give your provider all the information that would be helpful.
Mabel Ryder, M.D.: Their provider cares about them, is not judging them. Whatever information they share is confidential, but it's also to help the provider understand the best treatment options for them.
Rand: I'm not here to judge you, but I just want to take the best care of you I can. And so it's important to just be straight up.
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