Health and care
How to ask your doctor to explain your results and the plan
You have a right to understand what is happening with your health, and asking for simpler words is not a nuisance. Ask one question at a time and repeat in your own words what you have understood. Write the answers down or ask for them in writing.
How to handle this conversation
Say plainly that you do not understand
For example: “I do not know these terms. Could you tell me what this result means for my everyday life?”
Ask about three things
What is it, what happens next and what should I watch for. These three questions bring order even to a very technical answer.
Check that you have understood
Repeat: “So this value is a bit high and we test again in three months. Have I understood that correctly?” The doctor will correct you if something is off.
Ask for it in writing
The test name, the follow-up date, the recommendations. You can ask for a summary in your records or type notes on your phone in front of the doctor.
I am asking my doctor to explain my results
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Duration
- 6-10 minutes
The situation
You get test results with several values marked in red and take them to a specialist. After a quick look she says it will “need monitoring” and starts writing a referral. You do not know what the results mean or what to expect. You want to understand before you leave the office.
Who you talk to
The specialist
Matter-of-fact and experienced, used to speaking in medical terms. Means no harm, but answers in shorthand and assumes patients will read up on the rest.
The counterpart also has private goals and information that are never shown upfront. You discover them only through the conversation, the same way you would in real life.
What makes it hard
- The answers are full of terms you do not know.
- The doctor says “please do not worry” instead of explaining.
- Embarrassment about asking again makes it easy to nod without understanding.
Your goals
- Ask for an explanation in plain words without apologizing
- Find out what the result means, what comes next and what to watch for
- Check in your own words that everything is clear
What the report looks at
- Whether you say plainly what you do not understand
- Whether your questions are organized and asked one at a time
- How you respond to reassurance given instead of an answer
- Whether you repeat the plan at the end and make sure it is clear