Talking with Your Healthcare Provider

Why this topic matters

Clear conversations with your healthcare provider help you get accurate diagnoses, safer treatments, and care that matches your goals and preferences. When you prepare for visits and speak up with questions, you make the most of limited appointment time and reduce the chance of confusion later. Older adults and caregivers often juggle multiple conditions, specialists, and medicines, which makes strong communication even more important. An Understood Care advocate can help you get ready for each visit, create a clear list of questions, organize your medicines and history, join calls when needed, take notes, explain next steps in plain language, and follow up on referrals, authorizations, and test results so your care stays on track.

How to prepare before your visit

Set your goals for the appointment

Think about what you want from the visit. Choose one priority concern you want to address first. Write it at the top of your notes so you lead with it when the appointment begins.

Gather the essentials

Bring information that helps your provider understand the full picture. At a minimum, bring

1. A list of all medications you take including prescriptions, over the counter products, vitamins, and supplements, plus any allergies or past side effects
2. Your medical history and key diagnoses, recent test results if you have them, and names of your other providers
3. Your family health history for common conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, or cancer
4. A short list of questions you want answered today

An Understood Care Advocate can help you gather the essentials

Plan for access and support

If you use hearing aids, vision supports, or mobility devices, bring them and ask for any needed assistance. Consider inviting a trusted family member or friend to join you as a second set of ears. If English is not your preferred language, an Understood Care advocate can help get you an interpreter in advance.

What to share during the visit

Tell your story clearly

Describe when each symptom started, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects daily life. Be honest about lifestyle habits and challenges. Share your goals and what matters most to you.

Ask focused questions

Use your prepared note to guide the conversation. Helpful questions include

1. What do you think is causing these symptoms
2. What tests do I need and why
3. What are my treatment choices and how do they compare
4. What benefits and risks should I know about
5. How will this medicine or plan affect my other conditions and current medications
6. What should I do at home and when should I call for help
7. How and when will I get my results and who should I contact with questions

Use teach back to confirm your plan

Before you leave, say in your own words what you will do next. For example, I will take the new medicine once each evening with food, schedule the blood test next week, and call if my swelling gets worse. Ask your provider to correct anything you missed. An Understood Care Advocate can join the visit by phone or video to take notes, confirm instructions, and ask for clear explanations. After the appointment, your advocate can review the plan with you, help schedule tests and follow ups, assist with prior authorizations, track results and referrals, and check in to make sure the plan is working for you.

Safer conversations about medicines

Review your medication list together

Show your complete list, including supplements and herbal products. Ask about possible interactions and side effects that matter most for your age and health conditions. If costs or pill burden are a concern, ask about simpler schedules or alternatives.

Ask for plain language instructions

For every new medicine, ask

1. What the medicine is for and when it should help
2. Exactly how and when to take it, and what to avoid
3. What common side effects to watch for and what to do if they occur
4. Any serious warning signs that require urgent care
5. When to follow up to review how it is working

An Understood Care advocate can prompt these questions, note the answers in plain language, and help you set up safe use reminders, refills, and follow up.

Use trusted written information

Medication Guides and other FDA approved patient materials can help you remember key safety points. Ask your pharmacist to include them with refills, and keep them with your medication list.

Make tele-health visits work for you

Test your device before the visit, choose a quiet and well lit space, and have your notes and medication bottles nearby. If anything is hard to hear or understand, speak up right away and ask for the plan in writing through the patient portal or by mail.

After the visit

Capture the plan

Before you leave or as soon as you hang up, write down the diagnosis, new medicines or dose changes, ordered tests, referrals, and the date of your next check in. Store this summary with your medication list.

Follow through and follow up

Schedule tests and referrals promptly. If results do not arrive when expected, call the office or send a portal message. If the plan is not working, reach out early rather than waiting for the next appointment.
Your Understood Care Advocate can help during and after appointments by capturing key details, scheduling tests and referrals, tracking results, coordinating with your clinicians, and checking in to keep the plan on track.

When to seek more help

If you still feel uncertain after you ask questions and use teach back, it is reasonable to request a second opinion. If you ever have new severe symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, or signs of a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency care immediately.

If you still feel uncertain after you ask questions and use teach back, it is reasonable to request a second opinion. An Understood Care Advocate can help you choose the right type of second opinion, gather your records and imaging, schedule the visit, prepare focused questions, and ensure results are shared with your clinician. Learn more at https://understoodcare.com/care-types/second-opinion. If you ever have new severe symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, or signs of a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency care immediately.

Tools you can use today

1. Question planning tools that let you build a custom list for different visit types
2. Printable worksheets to organize history, symptoms, and questions
3. Medication list templates that you can keep in your wallet or purse
4. Patient portals that provide summaries, test results, and secure messaging

How Understood Care can support you

Care advocates can help you prepare questions, organize your medication list, join you during visits if needed, and follow up afterward so your instructions are clear and your next steps are scheduled. If you would like support with communication, appointments, or care coordination, see the Understood Care resources in the references.

FAQ

• Why are clear conversations with my healthcare provider so important?
  Clear conversations help you get accurate diagnoses, safer treatments, and care that matches your goals and preferences. When you prepare for visits and ask questions, you use limited appointment time wisely and reduce confusion afterward, which is especially important for older adults and caregivers juggling multiple conditions and medicines.
• How can an Understood Care advocate support me with appointments?
  An Understood Care advocate can help you get ready for each visit, create a clear question list, organize your medications and history, join calls when needed, take notes, explain next steps in plain language, and follow up on referrals, authorizations, and test results so your care stays on track.
• How should I prepare before a medical visit?
  Start by choosing one priority concern you want to address first and write it at the top of your notes. Bring a list of all medications and supplements, your allergies, key diagnoses, recent test results, and the names of your other providers. Include a short list of questions you want answered at that visit.
• What access and support should I plan for before the visit?
  Bring hearing aids, glasses, or mobility devices and ask for any help you need. Consider inviting a trusted family member or friend as a second set of ears. If English is not your preferred language, an Understood Care advocate can help arrange an interpreter and make sure the clinic knows your needs in advance.
• What information should I share during the visit?
  Describe when your symptoms started, what makes them better or worse, and how they affect your daily life. Be honest about habits, challenges, and what matters most to you. This context helps your provider choose tests and treatments that fit your real situation and preferences.
• What questions can I ask to better understand my diagnosis and plan?
  Useful questions include: What do you think is causing these symptoms? What tests do I need and why? What are my treatment options and how do they compare? What benefits and risks should I know about? How will this plan affect my other conditions and medications? What should I do at home and when should I call for help? How and when will I get my results, and who should I contact with questions?
• What is the teach back method and how do I use it?
  Teach back means explaining the plan in your own words before you leave. For example, “I will take the new medicine once each evening with food, schedule the blood test next week, and call if my swelling gets worse.” Ask your provider to correct anything you misunderstood. An Understood Care advocate can reinforce teach back by taking notes, confirming details, and reviewing them with you afterward.
• How can I talk more safely about medications during visits?
  Show your complete medication list, including over the counter products and herbal supplements. Ask about possible interactions and side effects that matter for your age and conditions. If costs or the number of pills are a problem, ask about simpler schedules or alternatives. For each new medicine, ask what it is for, when it should help, exactly how and when to take it, what to avoid, common side effects, serious warning signs, and when to follow up to review how it is working.
• How can written information and telehealth visits work better for me?
  Ask your pharmacist for Medication Guides and other FDA approved patient materials and keep them with your medication list. For telehealth, test your device ahead of time, choose a quiet well lit space, and keep your notes and medication bottles nearby. If anything is hard to hear or understand, speak up right away and ask for a written summary through the portal or by mail.
• What should I do right after the visit ends?
  Before you leave, or as soon as you hang up from a phone or video visit, write down the diagnosis, new medicines or dose changes, ordered tests, referrals, and the date of your next check in. Store this summary with your medication list. Schedule tests and referrals promptly and follow up if results do not arrive when expected.
• When should I consider asking for more help or a second opinion?
  If you still feel uncertain after asking questions and using teach back, it is reasonable to request a second opinion. An Understood Care advocate can help you choose the right type of second opinion, gather records and imaging, schedule the visit, prepare focused questions, and ensure results are shared with your clinician. If you ever have new severe symptoms like chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, or signs of a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency care immediately.
• What tools and support can I use today to improve my visits?
  You can use question planning tools, printable worksheets for your history and symptoms, medication list templates you keep in your wallet, and patient portals for summaries, test results, and secure messages. Understood Care advocates can help you use these tools, prepare questions, organize your medication list, join you during visits when needed, and follow up afterward so instructions are clear and next steps are scheduled.

References

• High authority clinical and government resources:
• AHRQ Questions Are the Answer main page. Full toolkit on asking questions and preparing for visits. https://www.ahrq.gov/questions‍
• AHRQ Question Builder online tool for creating a personalized question list. https://www.ahrq.gov/questions/question-builder/online.html‍
• National Institute on Aging Talking With Your Doctor guide for older adults. https://order.nia.nih.gov/publication/talking-with-your-doctor-a-guide-for-older-adults‍
• National Institute on Aging Talking With Your Doctor worksheets. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medical-care-and-appointments/talking-your-doctor-worksheets‍
• MedlinePlus Talking With Your Doctor topic page that aggregates trusted resources. https://medlineplus.gov/talkingwithyourdoctor.html‍
• MedlinePlus patient instructions Make the most of your doctor visit. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000860.htm‍
• Mayo Clinic How to make the most of your appointment practical preparation tips. https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-appointment‍
• Cleveland Clinic Questions To Ask Your Doctor conversation starters by topic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/information/questions-to-ask-your-doctor‍
• Cleveland Clinic Appointment Checklist guidance for during the visit. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/information/appointment-checklist‍
• FDA Patient Labeling Resources including Medication Guides for many prescriptions. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/fdas-labeling-resources-human-prescription-drugs/patient-labeling-resources‍
• FDA Patient Medication Information proposal overview for a simpler one page handout. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/fdas-labeling-resources-human-prescription-drugs/patient-medication-information-pmi‍
• CDC Medication Safety and Your Health tips for safe use and asking questions. https://www.cdc.gov/medication-safety/about/index.html‍
• CDC MyMedications List printable form to track all medicines and supplements. https://www.cdc.gov/older-adult-drivers/media/pdfs/MyMedications-List-Tribal.pdf‍
• CDC Personal Action Plan for medications and follow up. https://www.cdc.gov/older-adult-drivers/media/pdfs/Personal-Action-Plan.pdf‍
• AHRQ Teach Back intervention overview for confirming understanding. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/reports/engage/interventions/teachback.html‍

This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized care.