Working with Your Healthcare Provider

Having a regular healthcare provider is important to help you stay healthy. Telling your provider about yourself will help improve your care and keep you safe. You can ask questions when you don’t understand something, or just want to know more. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Good communication with your provider helps you get the most out of your healthcare.

Talk about your lifestyle

All sorts of things can affect your health. So your healthcare provider needs to know about your daily life.

Tell your provider: 

• Where you work and what you do

• If you live alone or with others

• About your eating and sleeping habits

• If you get regular exercise

• If you drink alcohol or smoke

• If you are under a lot of stress

• If you are dealing with a major life change such as marriage, divorce, or retirement

• Your health and wellness goals

Share your symptoms   

Symptoms are a change from what’s normal. They may mean you have an illness or injury.

Tell your healthcare provider: 

• The type of symptoms, such as pain, fever, nausea, or weakness

• When your symptoms started

• How often you have symptoms

• If your symptoms wake you up at night

• When you have symptoms

• How bad your symptoms are

• If your symptoms interfere with your daily activities

• If your family or people you spend time with have similar symptoms

• If your symptoms are getting better or worse

• If you have had these symptoms before

• If you have traveled recently

Discuss your diagnosis

A diagnosis notes the cause of an illness or the reason for symptoms. Make sure you understand your diagnosis. This will make it easier for you and your provider to make decisions about your care.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• The name of the condition

• The cause of the condition

• How long the condition will last

• If there will be any long-term effects

• What you can do to prevent the condition in the future

• How you can learn more about the condition

• If the condition can be spread to other people

Ask about medical tests

Medical tests include things such as blood tests and X-rays. If you have a medical problem, tests can give your healthcare provider more information. Tests can also uncover hidden health problems.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• Why you need the test

• If you should stop taking any medicines before the test

• When you can take those medicines again

• What the test results will show

• If there are any risks of the test

• How accurate the test results will be

• How much the test will cost

• If there is a less expensive choice

• How the test is done and how long it will take

• How to get ready for the test

• How you will feel after the test

• If you will be able to drive yourself home

Think over your treatment choices

Many health conditions can be treated. Your healthcare provider may advise a certain treatment. But it’s a decision you need to make together.

Ask your provider:

• About all of your treatment choices

• How much treatment will cost

• What alternatives there are

• How soon you should start treatment

• How long treatment will last

• If it has risks

• What will happen if the condition is not treated

Your provider can also help you with choices about emergency care and end-of-life care. Ask them about a living will. Ask how to pick a person to make decisions for you if needed.

Ask about prevention

The goal of prevention is to help you not develop diseases. It’s easier to prevent illness than it is to cure it. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to keep yourself healthy.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• How often you should have checkups

• If you should get shots to help prevent disease

• How often you should get screening tests, such as mammograms and colonoscopies

• When and how will you get test results 

• If you should make any lifestyle changes

Use the patient portal

A patient portal is an online tool. You can access it on the web with a user name and password. You may be able to access it with an app on your smartphone. It lets you see your health information anytime.

Many clinics and healthcare systems use patient portals. They make it easier to reach and talk with your healthcare team. A portal can help you manage your health.

There are different kinds of patient portals. They have different features. A patient portal may:

• Let you see some parts of your medical records

• Let you send private, secure messages to your healthcare team

• Let your healthcare team see test results and X-ray reports

Ask your provider’s office how to access the patient portal. They can give you instructions for how to sign up.