A simple guide to asking better questions at a clinic

You've waited three hours in the clinic. Finally, it's your turn. The doctor asks a few quick questions, writes something on a paper, hands you a prescription and says "Next!" You walk out holding a list of medicines with names you can't pronounce.

On the way home, questions come flooding in: "What exactly do I have?" "Should I take this before or after eating?" "What if I feel worse?" "Can I still breastfeed?" "Why three medicines?"

But you're already on the zémidjan. Too late.

This happens everywhere — in Cotonou, Lagos, Paris and New York. Many patients leave clinics without fully understanding their diagnosis or treatment. The good news: a few simple questions can change that.

How can patients ask better questions at a clinic — and get the answers they need to take care of their health?

Important: This article is general information to help you communicate with health workers. It's not medical advice. Always follow the guidance of qualified health professionals.

Why patients don't ask questions

Common reasons include:

• Respect or fear. In many cultures, questioning a doctor feels rude.
• Time pressure. The waiting room is full and the doctor seems rushed.
• Language. The doctor speaks French or English; the patient is more comfortable in Fon, Yoruba, Goun or another language.
• Not knowing what to ask.
• Feeling unwell or anxious, which makes it hard to think.
• Embarrassment about "silly" questions.

Health workers generally want patients to understand. A patient who understands is more likely to take medicines correctly and get better.

Studies suggest patients forget a large share of the medical information they're given during a visit — often cited as 40–80% — and much of what they remember is incorrect. (Kessels, "Patients' memory for medical information," Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2003) Asking questions and writing down answers helps you remember.

The three most important questions

A simple, widely used programme called "Ask Me 3" (developed by the US National Patient Safety Foundation, now part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement) encourages patients to ask three questions at every visit:

• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important for me to do this?

These questions work anywhere. They help you understand the diagnosis, the treatment and the reason behind it.

Joke break: A patient once asked his doctor, "What is my main problem?" The doctor said, "You waited until your leg was this swollen before coming." Fair answer. Question two — "What do I need to do?" — was: "Come earlier next time."

Questions about your medicine

Medicines help only if taken correctly. Ask:

• What is this medicine for?
• How many times a day? For how many days?
• Before, during or after meals?
• What should I do if I forget a dose?
• What side effects are normal? Which ones mean I should come back?
• Can I take it with my other medicines or with herbal remedies?
• Is it safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
• Should I finish all of it even if I feel better?

That last question matters a lot for antibiotics and malaria treatment. Stopping early can make treatment fail and contribute to resistance.

Also ask the pharmacist. Pharmacists are medicine experts and can explain doses clearly.

Questions about tests

If the health worker orders tests:

• What is this test for?
• How much does it cost?
• When will I get results?
• What happens if the result is positive or negative?

Questions about what happens next

• When should I come back?
• What signs mean I should come back sooner or go to the hospital?
• What can I do at home to get better? (Rest, fluids, food?)
• Who can I call if I have a question later?

Danger signs are especially important for children: difficulty breathing, not able to drink or breastfeed, repeated vomiting, convulsions, being unusually sleepy. Health workers can tell you which signs to watch for.

How to prepare before your visit

A little preparation makes a big difference:

• Write down your symptoms: What? When did it start? Is it getting better or worse?
• List your medicines: including herbal remedies, supplements and medicines from the market.
• Write your questions: top 3 first.
• Bring past documents: health booklet (carnet de santé), test results, prescriptions.
• Bring someone if possible: a family member can listen and remember.
• Bring a pen and paper.

During the visit: how to ask

• Start with your biggest worry: "What worries me most is…"
• Be honest, even about embarrassing symptoms. Health workers have seen everything.
• Say if you don't understand: "Sorry, can you explain that more simply?"
• Ask in your language if possible, or ask if someone can translate.
• Repeat back: "So I take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening, for five days, after eating. Is that right?" This "teach-back" technique helps catch misunderstandings.
• Write down the answers.

"The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease." — William Osler, physician

Talking about herbal and traditional medicine

Many people in Africa use traditional or herbal remedies along with modern medicine. Tell your health worker. Some herbs can interact with medicines or affect conditions like pregnancy, diabetes or high blood pressure.

Health workers should respond respectfully. Being open helps them give safer advice. For how to evaluate health claims about remedies, read How to read a health claim shared online.

Talking about costs

Cost is a real concern for many families. It's OK to ask:

• "How much will this treatment cost in total?"
• "Is there a cheaper option that works as well?" (for example, a generic medicine)
• "Is this covered by health insurance or a free programme?"

Benin has been developing health insurance schemes such as ARCH (Assurance pour le Renforcement du Capital Humain), aimed at improving access to health services, especially for vulnerable people. Ask whether you're eligible.

Questions for parents

When your child is sick:

• What's the diagnosis?
• How much medicine, based on my child's weight or age?
• How should I give it (syrup, crushed tablet)?
• Which danger signs mean I must come back immediately?
• Can my child go to school? When?
• Is there a vaccine to prevent this?

Community health workers can also help answer these questions at home — see How community health workers reach families.

What health workers can do

Good communication is a shared responsibility. Health workers can:

• Invite questions: "What questions do you have?" (rather than "Any questions?" which invites "No").
• Use simple words and local languages.
• Use teach-back to check understanding.
• Write clear instructions on prescriptions.
• Treat every question with respect.

Respectful care builds trust in health information — read What makes health information easy to trust?.

For someone else: being a helpful companion

If you accompany a relative — an elderly parent or a sick friend — you can:

• Help them list symptoms and questions beforehand.
• Take notes during the visit.
• Ask for clarification if something is unclear.
• Help organise medicines at home (a simple chart with times).
• Respect their privacy and let them speak for themselves when they can.

A simple medicine chart for home

After the visit, make a simple chart: Medicine | Morning | Midday | Evening | Days | With food? Example: Medicine A | 1 tablet | — | 1 tablet | 5 days | After eating

Tick each dose. It prevents missed or double doses, especially when several people care for a patient.

An illustrative visit, done well

Consider an illustrative patient we'll call M. Houngbo (illustrative), a 55-year-old trader in Cotonou with headaches. Before his visit, his daughter helped him write three lines: "Headaches for 3 weeks, mostly mornings. Taking paracetamol from the market. Worried about blood pressure because my brother has it."

At the clinic, the nurse measured his blood pressure. It was high. M. Houngbo asked his three questions: "What is my main problem?" "What do I need to do?" "Why is it important?"

The nurse explained that high blood pressure often has no symptoms but can lead to stroke and heart problems. She explained the medicine, and he repeated back: "One tablet every morning, every day, even when I feel fine. Less salt. Come back in one month." She corrected one detail — "take it at the same time each day" — and wrote it down.

He left with a plan he understood. The visit took barely longer than usual. The difference was preparation and three good questions.

Common medicine misunderstandings

Some misunderstandings are very common. Ask about them directly:

• "I feel better, so I can stop." For many medicines (antibiotics, malaria treatment, blood pressure pills), stopping early is risky.
• "If one tablet is good, two is better." Extra doses can be dangerous.
• "This medicine worked for my neighbour, so I'll take theirs." Medicines are prescribed for a specific person and condition.
• "Injections work faster than tablets." Not always — and they carry extra risks.

When in doubt, ask the health worker or pharmacist.

Your questions are part of your treatment

Asking questions isn't disrespectful. It's responsible. Understanding your diagnosis and treatment is part of getting better.

Next time you go to a clinic, bring your three questions: What's my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important?

Keep reading: What makes health information easy to trust?, The role of local languages in health communication, and our Health & Well-being section.

Questions

What questions should I ask my doctor?

Start with: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important? Then ask about medicines, tests, danger signs and follow-up.

What is the teach-back method?

Repeating the health worker's instructions in your own words so they can check you understood correctly.

Should I tell my doctor about herbal remedies?

Yes. Some herbs can interact with medicines or affect health conditions, so your health worker needs to know.