A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Talking With Your Doctor
Visiting a doctor's office can make you nervous, impatient, or even scared. You may have only a few minutes with your health care provider. Later, you might remember something you forgot to ask. Or you may forget what the doctor or nurse said. Being prepared can help you get the information you need. Here are some things you can bring to make the most of your visit:
- Lists of your concerns, any allergies and all the medicines, herbs or vitamins you take
- A description of symptoms - when they started, what makes them better
- A notepad or tape recorder
- A trusted friend or relative
Make sure you understand your diagnosis and any treatments. Ask your health care provider to write down his or her instructions to you. If you still have trouble understanding, ask where you can go for more information.
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Start Here
- How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Talking to Your Doctor(National Eye Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Tips for Talking to Your Doctor(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Questions Are the Answer: Your Health Depends on Good Communication(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Understanding Your Doctors and Other Caregivers(Joint Commission) - PDF
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Latest News
- Families Who Adopt Should Use Extra Health Services, School Support(09/27/2012, HealthDay)
- Language Barrier Hurts Elderly Asthma Patients(09/07/2012, HealthDay)
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Staying Medicine Smart
(09/07/2012, HealthDay)
- Not All Doctors Want Hand-Washing Reminders(09/04/2012, Reuters Health)
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Get Involved!(08/22/2012, HealthDay)
- More News on Talking With Your Doctor
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Alternative Therapy
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Time To Talk with Your Health Care Providers: 4 Tips to Start the Conversation(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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Time to Talk: Tell Your Health Care Provider about Your Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
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Time To Talk with Your Health Care Providers: 4 Tips to Start the Conversation
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Specific Conditions
- Ask Me 3(National Patient Safety Foundation)
- Be an Active Member of Your Health Care Team(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
- Be More Involved in Your Health Care: Tips for Patients(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Explore Your Treatment Options(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Related Issues
- Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing: Tips for Working with Your Doctor(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Do I Need an Interpreter?(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Five Steps to Safer Health Care(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Also available in Spanish
- Getting a Second Opinion Before Surgery: Your Choices and Medicare Coverage(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Let's Talk...and Listen(Amputee Coalition of America) - PDF
- Living Well with a Serious Illness: Talking with Your Doctor When the Future Is Uncertain(American College of Physicians) - PDF
- Looking for a Doctor? / ¿Está Buscando un Médico?(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Questions for Your Doctor: Your First Visit(Testicular Cancer Resource Center)
- Telehealth: When Health Care Meets Cyberspace(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- When You Visit Your Doctor(Harvard Medical School)
- Why It's Wise to Use a Health Advocate(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Why You Need to Explore Your Treatment Options(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Health Check Tools
- Question Builder(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Tutorials
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Talking with Your Doctor
(National Institute on Aging)
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Understanding Medical Words: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine(National Library of Medicine)
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Talking with Your Doctor
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Videos
- Asking Questions to Get the Care You Need(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Bring a Health Advocate to Appointments(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Following the Clues: A Visit to the Doctor and the Library(McGoogan Library of Medicine) - Also in Spanish and Sudanese-Nuer
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Make a List(National Institute on Aging)
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Remembering What You and Your Doctor Discussed(National Institute on Aging)
- SpeakUP - Prevent Errors in Your Care (Part 1)(Healthy Roads Media)
- Also available in Spanish
- SpeakUP - Prevent Errors in Your Care (Part 2)(Healthy Roads Media)
- Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Physician-Patient Relations(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Nurse-Patient Relations(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Physician-Patient Relations(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Physician-Patient Relations
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Research
- End-of-Life Care Discussions between Patients with Advanced Cancer and Doctors(American College of Physicians) - PDF
- Factors Influencing Medical Decision-Making(American Academy of Neurology) - PDF
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
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Some Common Abbreviations(National Library of Medicine)
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Word Parts and What They Mean(National Library of Medicine)
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Some Common Abbreviations
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
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Following the Clues: A Visit to the Doctor and the Library(McGoogan Library of Medicine)
- Also in Spanish and Sudanese-Nuer
- How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Talking to the Pharmacist(Nemours Foundation)
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Following the Clues: A Visit to the Doctor and the Library
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Teenagers
- I'm a Guy. How Can I Talk to My Female Doctor about Certain Things?(Nemours Foundation)
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Talking to Your Doctor(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
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Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People(National Institute on Aging)
- PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People
Languages
Talking With Your Doctor - Multiple Languages
