Talk to Your Health Care Professional
Become an informed decision-maker by taking steps to be well-informed about your health and the health of family members. By talking with your health care provider, both of you will get important information needed to make decisions. Keep the following in mind:

• Take a list of questions with you. Write the answers.
• Consider taking a family member or trusted friend along.
• Compare notes after a visit: not everyone hears the same thing.
• Ask for permission to tape a conversation for later review.
• Equip yourself with information from a variety of reputable sources.
• Decide how much you want to know.
• Follow these practices whether talking to a physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, or other provider.

For more information, visit:
www.cancer.org
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
www.medicare.gov/Publications/Home.asp
American Heart Association