Tuesday, May 5, 2009

People are more likely to demand information about a restaurant entree or a cellphone deal than about a doctor's diagnosis. At least that's the opinion of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which recently launched a campaign aimed at getting Americans to research and ask questions of their health-care providers.

The public service announcements (one has a picture of a waiter captioned, "You'll ask him about the side dish," then a picture of a doctor that reads, "But you won't ask him about the side effects") are meant to prompt people not only to ask questions but also to think about what those questions might be ahead of time, says Carolyn Clancy, director of AHRQ. To help, the agency has a sort of menu that helps you create a list of questions based on the nature of your visit to the doctor. (At http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer, click "Do You Know?") The site offers nine categories, each with suggested questions for such encounters as getting a new prescription or getting a recommendation to have surgery.

Of course, you may not know about a proposed surgery or a new prescription until you get to the doctor's office. If you've got a phone with a Web browser, you might be able to call up the AHRQ site on the spot; if you don't have one, you could ask to use a computer in the doctor's office. Clancy also suggests asking how to get in touch with the physician after the visit to be sure you get all your questions answered.

All this may feel awkward or pushy, but don't be shy about insisting on more information. "The average primary care office visit lasts a little under 16 minutes and covers six different topics, so it's important that patients and physicians know how to optimize their time together," says Peter Carmel, a member of the American Medical Association's board of trustees and a pediatric neurosurgeon in Newark.

People can also order a printed brochure with the question menus from AHRQ by calling 800-358-9295. Find additional information on how to talk to your doctor at http://www.ahrq.gov/CONSUMER/quicktips/doctalk.htm. And the National Institutes of Health offers a guide on physician conversations just for seniors: http://www.nihseniorhealth.gov/talkingwithyourdoctor/toc.html.

-- Francesca Lunzer Kritz