I recently heard a Family Practice Physician comment on the importance of follow-up questions.
He mentioned how it’s easy to ask a patient, “Do you smoke?” and if their answer is “no,” to move on to the next issue.
He said providers were “missing opportunities for follow up questions,” even though the patient had said they did not smoke.
Such follow-up questions might include, “Have you ever smoked? When did you quit? How long did you smoke for?” He pointed out that asking these questions could reveal clinically important information.
Maybe questions like these are second nature to you; maybe not. Either way, here’s a refresher: 25 different questions you can ask.
A more rounded view
You already know that asking such questions also gives you a more rounded view of the patient. When you see your patient, they’re more or less removed from their everyday life circumstances.
In a way, they’re isolated. You don’t see them in their environment.
Patients’ answers to these questions gives you a bigger picture, if not the big picture, of their lives. Because they’re going to leave you, and go on and live those lives.
Awkward!
But what about questions that might make your patient—or you—feel uncomfortable? It’s ok to be concerned about such questions, even and perhaps especially when they are not part of your everyday practice.
Research indicates that patients are grateful when you ask about sex or sexuality.
It’s also ok to ask these questions in writing (rather than face-to-face).
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Clinical and cultural significance
This is a chance to turn up information that could be clinically or culturally significant.
The more you know about what’s going on in your patient’s life, the better you can move forward together with care that meets them where they’re at.
Yes, asking questions takes more time. So see which of these might be worth it for you and your patients.
Follow up questions
- How long has it been since/when was the last time you…?
- For how long had you…?
- When did you stop/start/first…?
- How are you feeling/doing since you…?
- Do you think you will continue to/What might keep you from continuing
Respectful personal questions
- Are you part of a religious community/is your spirituality important to you? [This question was inspired by an excellent conference presentation I saw from the Tannenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding]
- What would you consider a normal expressions of affection/attention/love? [This question was inspired by an excellent conference presentation I saw from D’vorah Rose, co-editor of Struggling in Good Faith: LGBTQI Inclusion from 13 American Religious Perspectives]
- How do you prefer to be addressed?
- How would you describe your sexual orientation? Gender identity?
- How are medical/health decisions made in your home?
Clarification questions
- You said x. Can you tell me more about that?
- How did x happen?
- How important is x to you?
- When you said x, what did you mean by that?
- Is it more like x, or more like y?
Open ended questions
- What’s important for me to know about your personal life that might impact your care?
- How are things at home? How are things at work?
- What do you wish I knew about you that I don’t?
- When you decide to do x, what typically gets in your way?
- What do you think it would take for you to x?
Background knowledge questions
- What do you already know about X?
- Have you, or has anyone in your family, had experience with X? Tell me about that.
- What have you done in the past? How did that work out?
- What has worked for you before? Can you think of things you have done that have helped?
- Have you run into any of this before? Have you heard of this before? What can you tell me about it?
Effective Patient Education Audiobook Bundle
This bundle of audiobook, eBook, and supplementary materials will help make your life easier. And it might change the way you think about patient education, no matter your specialization or patient population. You get practical, culturally and linguistically relevant advice and research-based tools, in an unfussy, conversational format. All sales support this podcast series.
$19.99
Buy Now
