Five questions to learn more about your patient  

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine 

A high-quality relationship with open and honest communication between patients and clinicians may improve health outcomes. One component of developing and strengthening a close connection is a thoughtful relationship-centered interview. Purposeful questions imbued with curiosity and compassion are a start.  

Here are five open-ended questions that may add depth to conversations with patients: 

1. What health concerns do you have?

This shows interest in the patient’s health priorities. The hope is that they’ll feel comfortable expressing their own goals. 

2. What are you most worried could be wrong? 

This gets at the patient’s real underlying concerns. Beyond arriving at an accurate diagnosis, full reassurance requires addressing these worries. 

3. What would make your visit feel most successful and worthwhile today?

Patients often present with multiple concerns, and it can be challenging to prioritize them in a time-limited visit. This question helps clarify what a satisfying visit looks like from the patient’s perspective. 

4. How did you and your partner meet?

I’ve learned so much about my patients’ life contexts from this question. Simple questions about job, relationship status, and children are important, but this question conveys curiosity. For patients who are single, you can ask about the important people in their lives. 

5. Can you tell me more?

This simple prompt demonstrates sincere interest in a patient’s story. You may learn more information about your patient, which is helpful for both diagnosis and cultivating a deeper connection. 

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.