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Sagar Nigwekar’s book, “Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor,” is available in the Kessler Library and Shop on the Pike.
When Sagar Nigwekar, MD, of the Renal Division, returned from an appointment with his own physician in 2009, he had somewhat of a wake-up call.
“I thought she had done an amazing job,” he said. “But that evening, when I reflected on the visit, I thought of many things I should have asked her but didn’t. And if this is happening to me, as a physician, I started to wonder what it is like for someone with no medical background.”
Nigwekar, who joined BWH as a renal fellow in July, was working for Rochester General Hospital at the time. He and a colleague, Jim Sutton, a family practice physician assistant, began to put together a handbook addressing the questions patients should ask during an appointment.
They looked into getting the handbook published, and in May 2010, “Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor” officially became available for purchase.
“The duration of doctor visits is getting shorter and shorter, yet there remain quite a few issues to address from the doctor’s point of view,” said Nigwekar. “The book serves as a guide for patients and allows them to focus on the questions they need to have answered.”
“Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor” is organized by topic, with a different set of questions listed for each of the top 100 medical conditions included in the book. There are also separate lists of questions that cover the basic things a person should keep in mind when they go to see a doctor—from bringing a list of current medications to the importance of arriving on time.
There are no answers listed, a decision made by the authors to encourage a dialogue between patients and medical care providers.
“Knowing what questions to ask your doctor is critical to getting the information you need to know,” said Nigwekar.
“Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor” is published by Outskirts Press. Copies are also available in the Kessler Library and Shop on the Pike.