Below is a list of questions and suggestions to enhance your healthcare provider selection and communication. Pick and choose.
Practitioner:
- How much experience have you had treating patients with ITP?
- How many ITP patients have you treated? How are they doing?
- Are you affiliated with any research group or hospital that specializes in non-malignant hematology?
- What is your treatment philosophy? Do you generally treat diseases aggressively or do you have a more conservative treatment approach?
- Do you welcome a patient who researches the disease and treatments?
- Do you welcome patient input on their care?
- What is your feeling about complementary or alternative treatments?
Treatments:
- What are your usual treatment recommendations for ITP?
- What course of treatment do you suggest and why?
- How long will I need this treatment?
- How will the treatment be administered?
- What are the criteria for discontinuing the treatment?
- Is this treatment designed to raise my platelet count temporarily or permanently?
- What will you recommend next if the treatment fails?
- What are the side effects of the treatment?
- For which side effects should I contact you?
- Are there any precautions that can be taken to minimize the side effects?
- Will I develop other medical problems from this treatment?
- How will you monitor the treatment progress?
- What changes should I make to my life as a result of ITP or the treatment?
