Part 1. Types of Healthcare Providers

Questions 1-5 discuss the differences in healthcare providers:

·        What is the difference between a medical physician (MD) and a doctor of osteopathy (DO)?

·        What is the difference between a nurse practitioner (NP) and a physician assistant (PA)? 

Part 2. Locating and Selecting A Primary Care Healthcare Professional

Questions 6-15 outline steps you can use to locate a HCP who best suits your needs:

·        What type of HCP do I need for my most of my general care?

·        What sources should I use to locate my primary HCP?

·        What should I look for when selecting my primary HCP? 

Part 3. First Visit with Your Healthcare Professional

Questions 16- 29 describe what to expect and various tests that may be ordered during your first visit with your HCP:

·        What should I take to my first visit?

·        What will we talk about at the first visit?

• What are some of the other common laboratory tests that might be ordered?

Part 4. Subsequent Visits To Your HCP

Questions 30- 37 explore ways to provide your HCP with updates on your health and various symptom tracking charts:

·        What should I take on subsequent visits to my HCP?

• What should I tell the HCP if I have a specific symptom?
• What questions do I want to ask on a visit to the HCP?

Part 5. Your Medications

Questions 38-47 provide tips and suggestions concerning your HCP and the medications you currently take or are prescribed by your HCP:

·        What do I need to tell my HCP about my medications? 

·        What do I need to know if I receive a new prescription?

• Is it better to take the original brand or the generic version of the medication?

Part 6. Contacting Your HCPs Office by Telephone

Questions 48-53 explain when and how to contact the staff at your HCP’s office:

·        What should I do if I need to call my HCP office during office hours?

·        What is a good time of day to call my HCP office?

·        What should I do if I need a refill on my medication? 

Part 7. Consultants or Specialists and Second Opinions

Questions 54-60 discuss what to expect from a specialist, and when/how/why to request a second opinion:

·        What are consultants or specialists?

·        How do I get to see a consultant?

·        What questions should I ask the consultant? 

Part 8. Pediatric HCP’s for Children

Questions 61--64 outline the differences between and Adult and Pediatric HCP, and the need for specialized care for children:

·        Do I need a separate pediatric HCP for my children?

• Do I need to have my children immunized?
• What type of records do I need to keep for my children? 

Part 9. Care For The Elderly

Questions 65 -75 outline important issues for individuals who are 65 years or older:

·        Will my primary care HCP know how to treat conditions I may develop when I am 65 years and older?

·        What is involved in a comprehensive geriatric physical examination?

·        What if part of my problem is keeping track of my medications? 

Part 10. Treatment Options

Questions 76- 84 describe various treatment options, clinical trials and the use of complementary therapies:

·        What do I need to know about my treatment options?

·        Will there be things I can do at home for myself?

• Are there complementary therapies that I can use with the treatment ordered by my HCP? 

Part 11. Financial Concerns

Questions 85-90 focus on the financial aspects of medical care and navigating insurance:

·        What if I have questions about my insurance? 

• Will my HCP accept my Medicare insurance?
• Will my HCP accept Medicaid insurance?  

Part 12. The Use of Computers in Medical Care

Questions 92 – 95 address computer usage that you may encounter in your health care:

·        Why is there a computer in my HCP’s examination room?

·        What if my HCP is typing away and it bothers me?

·        How can I use a computer to collect information on my health? 

Part 13. Quality of Life Issues

Questions 96-99 explore common concerns of patients in dealing with the non-physical aspects of their health:

·        What should I say if I want to talk to the physician about things that are not physical?

·        Should I tell my HCP if my illness is affecting my social life?

·        Should I tell my HCP if my illness is affecting my spiritual life?