Asking questions

Asking questions about your health will help you understand your healthcare options to make the best decisions about your treatment. Your doctor, together with other health professionals, can answer your questions and offer recommendations.

Asking your doctor questions can help you find, understand and use health information to stay healthy and make the right treatment choices for your situation. This is known as health literacy.

Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist. You may find it helpful to print out or write your questions down and take them with you when you see your doctor. You can add your own questions as well. It’s also a good idea to bring a list of all your medicines.

You can ask a friend or relative to come to your appointments to help you remember the information. Bring along a notebook and pen, or write notes on your phone for later.

If your doctor or other health professional tells you something that you don’t understand, ask them to repeat the information. You can also ask them to say it in a different way, or ask them to write the information down for you to read again later.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

Questions about health problems

Here are some key questions you may want to ask your doctor:

• What is the name of my health condition? Could you write it down?
• Is it known by any other names?
• Could you write it down?
• How serious is this condition?
• How long will it last?
• What causes it?
• Can I pass it on to other people?

You may also have some follow-up questions during the appointment or at a later appointment, including:

• Is it likely to get worse? Is it likely to get better?
• Is the condition likely to recur?
• Do I need treatment? How will I access it?
• Is there anything I can do to improve my condition myself?
• Do I need to see any other health professionals, such as specialists, physiotherapists, dietitians or dentists?
• Are there support groups for people with this condition and how can I contact them?
• Where can I get more information about this condition?

Questions about treatments

Treatments for medical conditions vary, and may include medicines, medical implants, procedures or surgeries, physiotherapy, and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. Some questions you may ask on your treatments include:

• How effective is this treatment?
• Is it likely to be successful for people like me?
• What is the evidence for this treatment?
• Are there any risks or side effects?
• Are side effects likely to be permanent or will they pass?
• How long will I need the treatment for?

You may also have some follow-up questions during the appointment or at a later appointment, including:

• Do I still need this treatment? What happens if I stop?
• Are there other ways to treat my condition?
• Is there a clinical trial that I can join?
• How quickly do I need to start the treatment? Is it OK if I take some time to decide?

You may have some questions about treatment costs, including:

• How much will the treatment cost?
• Can I have a written cost estimate?
• Will I have out-of-pocket costs, how much?
• How long will I have to make the payments?
• Will the cost be covered by Medicare, my concession or Veterans Affairs card or by private health insurance?

Questions about medicines

It’s a good idea to take a written list of all medicines with you to your appointments. This should include over-the-counter medicines and health supplements like vitamins. At each appointment with a new health professional, it is important to show them this list, or to tell them what medicines and supplements you take.

Some basic questions about medicines may be:

• What does this medicine do?
• Does the medicine have side effects? If so, what should I do if I experience side effects?
• When should I take this medicine — should I take it with food or drink?
• Can I drink alcohol while I’m taking this medicine?
• How should I store the medicine (for example, in the fridge)?
• If the pharmacist offers me a different brand of the same medicine (a generic medicine), is it OK to take it?
• What should I do if I miss my regular dose?

Some questions based on your specific needs may be:

• Why do I need this medicine?
• Are there any other medicines that I can take instead?
• How long do I need to take this medicine?
• What will happen if I don’t take the medicine — will my health get worse?
• Will it interact with any other medicines I take, including any vitamins, herbal medicine or other complementary medicine?
• Can I take this medicine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
• Can it affect my ability to have children?

You may have some questions about the costs of your medicine, including:

• How much will it cost?
• Will the cost be covered by the PBS, my concession or Veterans Affairs card or by private health insurance?

LOOKING FOR A MEDICINE? — To search by brand name or active ingredient, use the Medicines information search feature.

Questions about tests

There are different kinds of tests you may need, such as blood tests, urine tests, x-rays and CT scans.

Some tests will help your doctor diagnose a health condition — such as an x-ray to find out if a bone is broken. There may be clear benefits, as well as some disadvantages for you to ask your doctor about. These are called diagnostic tests.

Some tests will help your doctor understand your risk of disease, and cannot be used to make a diagnosis. This may be part of what is known as a risk assessment.

Some tests indicate potential health disorders or diseases in people who do not have any symptoms of the disease. These are called screening tests, or health screens.

It’s important that you know the reason for the test beforehand. Read more on Health checks, screenings and tests.

The healthdirect Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

These basic questions will help you discuss the benefits and risks of a test with your doctor:

• What is the test for — what are the benefits?
• What happens if I don’t get this test?
• How is the test done?
• Are there any risks of having the test?
• How accurate are the results of the test?
• Will the test hurt?
• What does an abnormal result mean?

Some specific questions to your situation may include:

• What do I need to do before the test? Do I need to fast?
• Can this test diagnose a problem or will I need other tests?
• Are there any alternative tests?
• How often do I need to have the test?
• How soon do I need to have the test?
• What is likely to happen next, after I have the test?
• Will the test be in a closed space, and if so, what if I feel anxious?

You may have some questions about the costs of the test, including:

• How much will the test cost?
• Is it covered by Medicare, my concession or Veterans Affairs card or my private health insurance?

Some technical questions may include:

• Will the test take a long time?
• How do I book in to have the test, and what is the usual waiting period?
• When and how will I get the results?

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Resources and Support

Call the Medicines Line on 1300 633 424 for information on your medicines.

To understand more about blood tests and urine tests visit Pathology Tests Explained.

Find out more about medical implants and devices at the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Visit the Consumers Health Forum of Australia for more resources on understanding your health.

Veterans Affairs offers a range of healthcare services for veterans.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Easy read resources

Visit Canberra Health Literacy Hub for quick tips on questions to ask when you see your doctor.

Health Literacy Northern NSW has a fact sheet to help you plan for better care.

Other languages

Choosing Wisely Australia has a list called Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Get Any Test or Treatment, in many community languages.

Cancer Council NSW has a list of questions you can ask your doctor after a cancer diagnosis translated into community languages.

NPS MedicineWise's printable sheet helps you to track your medicines, and is available in many community languages.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Choosing Wisely Australia has created a list of questions called 5 Questions to ask your doctor in Whadjuk Noongar language.