7 questions for a follow-up visit with a patient

In follow-up visits, healthcare professionals need to ask questions that focus on what’s been happening with the patient since the last appointment.

Andrew was feeling lousy, listless and lethargic.

He went to see his doctor who asked him a bunch of questions to figure out what could be wrong. She diagnosed him with a respiratory condition, gave him a treatment plan and told him to come back in a month.

It’s now time for Andrew’s follow-up.

Here are some questions his doctor could ask him:

How have you been feeling since your last visit?
Are you having any difficulty following your treatment plan?
Are you taking your medicines as directed?
Have you experienced any side effects from your medicines?
What’s bothering you the most at the moment?
How have you been sleeping?
How are you doing with your diet and exercise plan?

Happily, Andrew’s feeling much better. He has no side effects from the medication, is sleeping through the night, has lost some weight and his diet has improved.

A satisfied patient and a success story for the doctor helped by clear communication.

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