Patient Better
Navigate your way to optimal care
Patient Better
Navigate your way to optimal care
A smiling healthcare professional wearing scrubs and a stethoscope, representing the Communicating With Your Providers category and the importance of clear, comfortable conversations with your care team.

Did you know?

Research shows that patients forget between 40 and 80 percent of the medical information discussed during an appointment, and nearly half of what they remember is remembered incorrectly. As a result, misunderstandings can lead to medication errors, missed follow up care, delayed treatment, and avoidable complications.

Communicating with Your Providers Is Challenging. Especially When You Don’t Know What Questions to Ask.

Today's Top Stories on Communicating with Your Providers
How to talk to your provider about your concerns: patient discussing health concerns with a primary care provider during an office visit

How to Talk to Your Provider About Your Concerns: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Communication and Better Care

Learn how to talk to your provider about your concerns by preparing ahead of time, organizing your thoughts, asking meaningful...
  • Patient explaining neck pain to a healthcare provider during a medical appointment, showing how to describe your symptoms clearly.

    How to Describe Your Symptoms at Your Next Office Visit: What Providers Listen For, What to Say First, and How to Avoid Being Misunderstood

    This article explains how to describe your symptoms clearly at a medical...

  • A patient taking their blood pressure during a telemedicine appointment, preparing questions to ask during a sick visit to communicate clearly with their provider.

    The 5 Smartest Questions To Ask During a Sick Visit: A Winter-Ready Guide for Clear Communication

    This article walks you through the most important questions to ask during...

  • The featured image for article: "How I Learned to Advocate for Myself in the Doctor’s Office—And How You Can Too" A woman sits beside a doctor in a brightly lit medical exam room, holding a red spiral notebook open between them. The woman, casually dressed in a tan long-sleeve shirt and jeans, smiles confidently as she points to a page, clearly prepared to advocate for herself during the visit. The doctor, wearing a white lab coat, navy tie, and stethoscope, listens attentively and looks at the notebook with interest. Behind them, a wall-mounted eye chart and medical tools subtly reinforce the clinical setting. The image captures a moment of collaborative communication, emphasizing the power of preparation in effective self-advocacy.

    How I Learned to Advocate for Myself in the Doctor’s Office—And How You Can Too

    Learning to advocate for myself in the doctor’s office changed everything—from feeling...

  • A middle-aged male healthcare provider in blue scrubs is sitting at a table with an older couple, attentively explaining medical information using a clipboard and pen. The elderly man and woman, appearing thoughtful and engaged, listen closely as they review documents, with a bottle of medication and glass of water on the table. This scene visually represents the concept of “how do I prepare questions to ask my doctor” by illustrating a collaborative and informed conversation during a medical consultation.

    How Do I Prepare Questions to Ask My Doctor? 7 Steps to Take Control of Your Next Appointment

    Walking into a doctor’s appointment without prepared questions can lead to confusion,...

Top Communicating with Your Providers Glossary Terms
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These are some of the most common communication terms people rely on every day. Think you can guess them? Hover over each image to see if you’re right.

Signpost Questions
Chief Complaint
Key Information
Healthcare Communication
Evidence-Based Medicine
Medication Reconciliation
Other Glossary Words and Terms
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