About the Disease
- What subtype of my disease do I have?
- How severe is my disease?
- What is my prognosis?
- What have other people with a similar disease and treatment gone through?
About Treatment
- What are all my treatment options?
- What treatment option do you recommend for me? Why?
- Will I be getting more than one treatment?
- How does this treatment work?
- How likely am I to get better with the treatment?
- How often is this treatment given?
- Has this treatment been used a lot or is it a new or experimental treatment?
- Does the treatment hurt?
- When can I expect the treatment to start working? When/how will I know if it is working?
- What are some of the possible side effects I should be aware of? Are there long-term side effects?
- What happens if the treatment doesn't work?
- Where will I be getting the treatment (at your office, at a clinic, in the hospital)?
- Will I get better?
- Do you have tips for staying on the treatment plan? (Some people report they feel worse on treatment in the beginning, and then feel better after a few weeks or months. This can be discouraging, yet it is a common side effect of some of the medicines.)
- How long do I need to take the medicine? What happens if I go off this medicine before the treatment cycle is over?
- Will this treatment be covered by my insurance plan? If not, what is the cost if I choose to pay out of pocket? Are there other treatments can I consider?
- Can my disease return, even after successful treatment?
About Prescription Drug Treatment
- Has the drug been approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) for treating my disease?
- How do I take the medicine? How often do I need to take it?
- How long will I need to take the medicine?
- How does this treatment work?
- What are the common side effects of this medicine? What are the most severe side effects? What can be done to control them?
- What are the long-term side effects of this medicine?
- How much does it cost? Is it covered by my insurance?
- Can this prescription drug cause interactions or side effects with any over-the-counter medications or supplements that I take?
For more questions to ask healthcare providers, visit the Questions Are the Answer Web site developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. At this site, you can create a customized list of questions to take with you to your next doctor's visit.