A question you remember on the way home from an appointment can go to your doctor's office before the next one. If you are unsure about the doctor's instructions once you are home, call the office, and ask the staff there whether it has an email address or an online health portal you can use to send questions. The exception is an emergency, for which you call 911. The subject of your question tells you who can answer it and how soon, and you can work that out before you pick up the phone.
Who at the practice takes a question after the visit is over
When you phone the practice with a question after the visit, a nurse or another member of staff may take it, and they can check with the doctor and call you back. The doctor can still be the one who answers, with the person on the phone carrying the question between you. Before you call the office, write the question out in a sentence or two, so whoever takes it can pass it on as you meant it.
Other members of the health care team, among them nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and occupational or physical therapists, may be able to take more time with you than the doctor, and sometimes the doctor may want you to talk with other health professionals who can help you understand and carry out the decisions about how to manage your condition.
A question about a medicine you were prescribed at the visit can also go to the pharmacy that filled it. Your pharmacist can help you learn how to use prescription and over-the-counter medicines safely and effectively. Tell the pharmacist everything else you take, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbals and other supplements.
Which questions cannot wait until the next appointment
Questions about a symptom that is getting worse or a medicine you want to stop cannot wait until the next appointment: call your doctor about the symptom, and talk with your doctor or your pharmacist before you stop the medicine. For an emergency, call 911 without waiting for anyone. Sorted by what your question is about, the steps to take after an appointment look like this:
| Your question is about | Who to contact before the next appointment |
|---|---|
| Instructions you do not understand now that you are home | Your doctor, by phone |
| Instructions you are having problems following | Your doctor, by phone |
| A symptom that is getting worse | Your doctor, by phone, unless it is one of the emergencies below |
| Stopping a medicine your doctor prescribed | Your doctor or your pharmacist, before you stop it |
| A test result nobody has told you | Your doctor's office, to get the result and to ask what to do about it |
| A test or a specialist you need | Make the appointment for the test or the specialist yourself |
The table is not complete, and a question it does not name can still go to your doctor's office. For a test result, ask the office for both things in that row: the result, and what you should do about it.
An emergency skips the office. If a person or an unborn baby could die or be permanently disabled, it is an emergency, and how you get help depends on the problem:
- Call 911 or the local emergency number and have the emergency team come to you right away when the problem cannot wait, such as severe chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath, or suddenly being unable to walk, move, speak or see.
- Call 911, or get to an emergency department, for problems such as trouble breathing, passing out or fainting, heavy bleeding, or vomiting or diarrhea that does not stop.
Call your doctor about a worsening symptom only when it is none of these. If the problem is not life threatening or risking disability, but you are concerned and cannot see your provider soon enough, go to an urgent care clinic. If you are not sure what to do, and none of the serious problems above applies, contact your provider; if the office is not open, your phone call may be forwarded to a nurse or another provider on call for the clinic. Describe your symptoms to whoever answers, with when the symptom started, how often it happens, and whether it is getting worse or better, and find out what to do.
What to do when the answer still makes no sense
Ask the nurse or doctor who called you back to go over the answer again, and keep asking questions until you do understand. The sentences you might use in the exam room work on the phone too: "I want to make sure I understand. Could you explain that a little more?" and "I did not understand that word. What does it mean?" Another check is to repeat what you think the doctor means in your own words and ask, "Is this correct?"
It is easy to forget a lot of what a doctor says, and even if you are comfortable talking with your doctor, you may not always understand what they say. Write down the main points while the person on the phone is talking.
An answer that is hard to hold in your head can be put on paper. Ask the person on the phone for written instructions if you need them. Find out whether your doctor has brochures or other materials about your health condition or treatment. You can also ask the doctor to recommend other sources that may have written or recorded information you can use, such as websites, disease management centers, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
If a phone answer still leaves you worried, you can ask to come back for a second visit to discuss your concerns. Even the best doctor may be unable to answer some questions; most doctors will tell you when they do not have answers, and they may help you find the information you need or refer you to a specialist.
How to keep the next question from being missed
To keep the next question from being missed, choose before the appointment the three or four questions or concerns you most want to talk about, tell the doctor what they are at the beginning of the appointment, and then discuss each in turn. If you have time, you can go on to other questions after those.
If you already write your questions down and still leave without asking them, say them at the start of the visit. Each patient is given a limited amount of time, so put the short list to the doctor before that time is used up. Ask a trusted friend or family member to come to the appointment with you and take notes for you, with a copy of your list in their hand as well. With the doctor's permission, you can also bring an audio recorder along and record what is said.
Before you leave the next appointment, ask the doctor or the front desk for these, so a late question has a known place to go:
- your doctor's contact information, the best way to communicate with them, and what to do if you need more information later
- whether the office has an email address or an online health portal for questions
- how you will get the results of any test you need
- how to access your medical records, so you can keep track of your test results, diagnoses, treatment plans and medicines
At the pharmacy, get the pharmacy's phone number and hours, so you can call back for any questions or refills. Before a problem comes up, put telephone numbers into your phone, including those for your provider, the closest emergency department and a nurse telephone advice line, if your provider or health insurance company offers one.
Keep a record of your own as well. You may have charts at several doctors' offices, and it is a good idea to keep your own personal health record, which could start with items such as a list of your medicines and supplements, dates and results of tests and screenings, any allergies, and any history of illnesses in your family. Ask your relatives about family illnesses before you need the answer (see Medullary thyroid cancer in the family rules out one weekly injection).
If your weight care comes through NicoCares, send a late question about it to your care team. They reply in Spruce, which you set up by following the link in the email NicoCares sent you. Tell the care team promptly about side effects, new medicines or changes in your health, and write a question that can wait the way you would put it to an office on the phone. NicoCares is not an emergency service, so for an emergency, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room, as the list above sorts them. If a side effect is getting worse but is not life threatening, and you are concerned and cannot get an answer from the care team soon enough, go to an urgent care clinic.
