How Patients Should Think: 10 Questions on How to Make Better Decisions about Drugs, Tests, and Treatment

In the heat of the moment, it is difficult to know what to ask our doctor so that we can reach the best possible solution or treatment. How can a doctor know to go through a list of risks, treatments and alternatives if the patient does not ask? This list of ten open-ended questions can help every type of patient get some control over the decisions that affect their help. Covering everything from tests to drugs to lifestyle issues, any or all of these ten questions can guide you to better decisions whether you've been told you have high cholesterol, your child has an ear infection, or that you need a CAT scan.

"Two words sum up the authors' advice to patients: be skeptical. Aussie journalists Moynihan (Too Much Medicine?) and Sweet (coauthor, The Big Fat) try to channel Jerome Groopman's bestselling How Doctors Think but wind up wanting. The writers gamely encourage hard-edged skepticism by offering anecdotes of medical mismanagement along with questions and strategies to aid a patient's decision-making about procedures or medications. '[I]t can be a mistake to sit back and hand over control for our health care,' they caution. This is not a new concept, and there's certainly no such thing as too much information, but the authors' assumption that all you have to do is ask the right question to elicit the right answer is troubling. When a practitioner makes a recommendation, it's a safe bet it's already his or her best guess. Still, the simple guide to 'what to ask' at the end of each chapter will go far to arm the timid or nervous patient with ammunition to open an honest conversation — and the assurance you're making the most informed decision possible. (June 24)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Ray Moynihan is one of Australia's leading health writers. He has written for a variety of publications, including the Financial Times, the British Medical Journal, and the New England Journal of Medicine. He lives in Sydney.
Melissa Sweet is one of Australia's leading health writers. She has written for a variety of publications, including the Financial Times, the British Medical Journal, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She lives in Sydney.