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Make the most out of your appointment

Ask three questions

When you have an appointment with a healthcare professional, you may need to make choices about your healthcare. When a clinician and a patient work together to make a treatment choice, we call it shared decision making. We want you to feel informed and able to ask questions. We encourage all patients to ask three questions:

  • What are my options?

  • What are the benefits and risks to each of the options?

  • How do I get the right support to help me make a decision that is right for me?

Learn more about shared decision making

Making the right choice for you

We want to support you to make the right choice

If there are different treatment options available to you, your doctor will share their expert opinion on the best option. You know your personal circumstances best, so it’s important for you to ask questions and share how the options will affect you.

Let the healthcare professional know about anything you are doing to manage your condition. Before your appointment, you could use this space to consider what is important to you, including your values, beliefs, hobbies, plans or caring responsibilities. Then, you and your healthcare professional can discuss your options, and, together, you can find the right choice for you.

This is known as a shared decision making conversation.

Ask three questions

Asking these three questions and considering what matters most to you will help you to choose the option that is best for you. After your appointment, you might want to talk to your friends and family about what you have discussed. It is okay to change your mind. If you have more questions, please speak to your healthcare professional.

  • What are my options?

  • What are the benefits and risks to each of the options?

  • How do I get the right support to help me make a decision that is right for me?

Hear a patient's story about making a shared decision

Ask three questions leaflet

Before you visit the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital for your first outpatient appointment, we will send you a shared decision making leaflet. This leaflet encourages you to ask three questions and provides space for you to plan the questions you want to ask. Please use it to make the most of your appointment. 

Download the leaflet