Understanding your child’s health: A caregiver’s guide to asking questions at doctor visits

Many people feel a bit intimidated in medical settings. But no parent should feel hesitant or embarrassed about asking questions about their own child’s health.

“It’s very important to remind parents that while we [clinicians] are the experts in medicine, you are the expert on your child,” says May Bressler, DPT, Ph.D., Program Manager, Patient Education at Children’s Health℠. “I tell parents that we want and expect them to ask questions. And that’s because we know that parents will always be their child’s biggest advocate.”

Dr. Bressler and Stormee Williams, M.D., Chief Health Equity Officer, offer tips for parents on questions they can ask their child’s doctor. They also help explain why asking questions can help your child’s care team provide better care.

Why asking questions matters

Asking questions is a great way to better understand what your child needs and why. It leads to clear communication, which leads to better care.

Asking questions can:

• Help your child get the care they need as quickly as possible.

• Give doctors important context about your child so they can make the right diagnosis.

• Make sure you give your child the right medicines, in the right amounts.

• Prevent your child from needing urgent or emergency care.

“We want to help increase every family’s understanding of their child’s health. We know that when a child’s caregiver better understands medical and health information, they’re more equipped to manage their child’s care and make informed decisions. And that leads to better health outcomes,” says Dr. Williams.

Why it can be hard to ask questions

There are many good reasons it can be hard for parents to ask questions during a medical visit. Some of these reasons include:

• Clinicians using too many medical words.

• Clinicians giving too much information at once or talking too fast.

• Experiencing emotions related to medical news that make it hard to process new information.

• Not wanting to be seen as a “difficult” parent.

• Feeling intimidated by clinicians.

• Language barriers (if English is not your first language). In those cases, language and translation services can help.

• Clinicians who don’t leave space for questions.

“We’re working to make it easier for families to ask questions. One simple but powerful way to do this is by changing how we invite questions. Instead of asking, ‘Do you have any questions?’ we’re encouraging clinicians to ask, ‘What questions can I answer for you?’”

Tips for asking doctors questions

Prepare questions and notes in advance

It can be hard to remember all your questions during a visit. Writing questions down in advance can help.

It can also help to write down information about your child’s physical or mental health from their:

• Teachers

• Coaches

• Therapists

“Sometimes, a child is showing signs in their behavior or personality, like suddenly doing poorly in school. Parents or teachers are the ones who will notice these changes, changes that can be valuable for their care team to know about,” says Dr. Bressler.

Don’t leave a visit until you know these three things

Sometimes, you may not have specific questions for your child’s care team. That’s OK. But before the visit is over, be sure the care team has answered these three questions for you.

1. What is my child’s main problem?

2. What do I need to do about it?

3. Why is it important for me to do that?

Bring an up-to-date medicine list to all doctor visits

It’s important to make sure your child’s care team knows everything your child takes to support their health. This helps them understand the big picture. It can also give you a chance to review what they take and why they may or may not need it.

Keep an updated list of all your child’s medicines and supplements on your phone (or in your wallet) so you can access it any time. Be sure to include:

• Prescribed medicines

• Over-the-counter medicines (like ibuprofen)

• Supplements and vitamins (like protein powder or Vitamin D)

Know how to contact the care team if you have more questions

It’s common to have a question about medication or next steps after you leave the doctor’s office.

And that’s why it’s always a good idea to ask the doctor before you leave: What should we do if we have any questions after we get home?

You may:

• Call a certain phone number (for example: the office or clinic or an after-hours nurse line)

• Send a digital message through MyChart

• Email your question to a specific e-mail address

What to do if you’re not sure you understand or what to ask

“No one should ever feel embarrassed about not understanding medical information,” says Dr. Bressler. “It’s our responsibility – as clinicians – to make health information clear, accessible and meaningful. Health literacy is a responsibility we all share at Children’s Health.”

Examples of questions you might ask include:

• What does ____ mean?

• Can you explain the part about ___ in a simpler way?

• Are there any other options we could consider for my child’s care?

• Can you help me understand why this medicine is needed?

• Do you have an interpreter available? (If English is not your primary or preferred language.)

• Do you have information available in ___ language? (Note: Children’s Health has educational materials in Spanish and several other languages.)

• Who can I call if I have more questions later?

• Is there a website or video you trust that could show me more about my child’s condition?

Our staff uses visuals, models and videos to help explain diagnoses and treatment plans because many people learn better visually,” says Dr. Williams. “We also encourage parents to ask for the types of educational materials that work best for them or their child.”

Resources to learn more

There’s no need to work on your health literacy skills at home or do your own research. Your child’s care team is here to explain things in terms you can easily understand.

But when parents or caregivers are looking for more in-depth health information on a specific topic, our family resource library helps families research a recent diagnosis or treatment plan.

We also recommend the following websites for health information you can trust:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): cdc.gov

• National Institutes of Health (NIH): nih.gov

• World Health Organization (WHO): who.int

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): HealthyChildren.org

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