Patient communication questions.

79 patient communication questions from the bank, ready to practice out loud.

Learn the ideas first · free with an account

Confidentiality and its limits Informed consent: the elements that make it valid Translating for non-experts: plain-language summaries Breaking bad news with SPIKES Decision-making capacity: the four abilities Motivational interviewing: behavior change without lecturing Goals-of-care conversations and family meetings

All 79 questions

Delivering a pancreatic cancer diagnosisWalk me through how you'd tell a 52-year-old patient that the biopsy results show pancreatic cancer.Breaking bad newsMid–leadership

Addressing medication non-adherenceA patient with type 2 diabetes hasn't been taking their medications. Walk me through how you'd approach that conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Assessing capacity in cognitive declineAn 80-year-old patient with cognitive decline is refusing a recommended procedure. Walk me through how you'd assess capacity.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Engaging patient with religious beliefsA patient from a religious tradition you don't share is making a treatment decision shaped by their beliefs. Walk me through how you'd engage.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Patient and adult children disagreeAn elderly patient wants one treatment plan; their adult children are pushing for another. Walk me through your approach.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Disclosing a serious congenital conditionWalk me through how you'd tell a young mother that her newborn has a serious congenital condition.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Patient dismisses smoking conversationA patient with a long smoking history says they've heard the lecture before. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Patient making self-destructive decisionA young patient is making a decision their family considers self-destructive. Walk me through how you'd approach.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Patient with family interpreter presentA patient who doesn't speak English fluently brought a family member to translate. Walk me through your approach.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Family meeting with unconscious patientWalk me through how you'd lead a family meeting when the patient is unconscious and family members disagree on goals of care.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Patient mortality questionA patient asks 'Am I going to die?' during a serious diagnosis discussion. Walk me through your response.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Addressing online health misinformationWalk me through how you'd approach a patient who has read concerning information online and is convinced their diagnosis is wrong.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Declining inappropriate opioid requestsA patient with severe pain is asking for opioids you don't think are appropriate. Walk me through your conversation.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Engaging with folk medicine practicesA patient brings a folk-medicine practice into the conversation. Walk me through how you'd engage without dismissing.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Teenager requests private visitA teenage patient asks to be seen without their parent present. Walk me through how you'd respond.Family dynamicsMid–senior

Disclosing medical error to patientWalk me through how you'd tell a patient that an error in their care led to a worse outcome.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Stress concerns referralA patient comes in repeatedly with stress-related concerns and resists referrals to behavioral health. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Discharge plan with limited resourcesWalk me through how you'd handle a discharge plan when a patient appears to lack the resources to follow it.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Patient distrusts medical systemA patient says they don't trust the medical system because of past experiences. Walk me through your response.Cultural humilitySenior–leadership

Spouse requests information withholdingA spouse asks you not to share certain information with the patient. Walk me through how you'd respond.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Poor prognosis with optimism-only preferenceWalk me through how you'd communicate a poor prognosis to a patient who has expressed they want full optimism only.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Patient rejects long-term medicationA patient with hypertension says they don't believe in long-term medications. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Patient refusing transfusion religiouslyWalk me through how you'd respond to a patient who's refusing transfusion on religious grounds.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Patient pronouns differ from chartWalk me through how you'd handle a conversation where a patient's pronouns differ from those in the chart.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Parent dominates adult patient visitAn adult patient and their elderly parent attend a visit together; the parent dominates the conversation. Walk me through your approach.Family dynamicsMid–senior

Disease progression despite ongoing therapyWalk me through how you'd revisit a treatment plan with a patient when imaging shows the disease has progressed despite therapy.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Weight concerns with resistant patientA patient repeatedly returns with weight concerns but resists structured interventions. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Patient in unsafe living situationWalk me through how you'd approach a patient who appears to be in an unsafe living situation.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Patient uncomfortable with clinician genderA patient is uncomfortable discussing sensitive topics with a clinician of a different gender. Walk me through your response.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Comfort care alertnessWalk me through how you'd handle a goals-of-care conversation when the family has agreed to comfort care but the patient is suddenly more alert.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Young patient newly diagnosed diabeticWalk me through how you'd tell a 25-year-old patient that their routine labs show new onset diabetes.Breaking bad newsEntry–mid

Asthmatic not using inhaler regularlyA patient with asthma hasn't been using their inhaler because they feel fine most days. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Elderly patient refusing physical therapyA 70-year-old patient is refusing physical therapy after a fall. Walk me through how you'd assess whether they have capacity to refuse.Capacity assessmentEntry–mid

Traditional healing integrationA patient mentions they prefer traditional healing practices alongside Western medicine. Walk me through how you'd respond.Cultural humilityEntry–mid

Adult daughter answering patient's questionsA patient's adult daughter keeps answering questions you've directed to the patient. Walk me through how you'd handle this.Family dynamicsEntry–mid

Patient needs same-day hospital admissionWalk me through how you'd tell a patient that their test results show they need to be admitted to the hospital today.Breaking bad newsEntry–mid

Repeated diet failureA patient with obesity says they've tried dieting many times and nothing works. Walk me through your approach.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Dementia driving capacityA patient with mild dementia wants to continue driving but their spouse disagrees. Walk me through how you'd assess the patient's capacity to make this decision.Capacity assessmentEntry–mid

Patient prayer requestA patient asks you to pray with them before a procedure. Walk me through how you'd respond.Cultural humilityEntry–mid

Family member requests private updatesA patient's family member pulls you aside and asks for updates without the patient present. Walk me through your response.Family dynamicsEntry–mid

Season-ending injuryWalk me through how you'd tell a college athlete that their injury will require them to sit out the rest of the season.Breaking bad newsEntry–mid

Patient too busy to exerciseA patient says they know they should exercise but they're too busy with work and family. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Delivering serious diagnosis via telehealthYou have to deliver a serious diagnosis over a telehealth video visit because the patient can't come in. Walk me through what changes about how you do it.Breaking bad newsMid–senior

Patient learned biopsy result aloneThe portal released a biopsy result overnight and the patient read it before you could call. They join the visit already in tears, asking why they had to find out alone. Walk me through the conversation.Breaking bad newsMid–senior

Social media weight lossA patient asks for a weight-loss medication they've seen all over social media, and it isn't clearly indicated for them. Walk me through the conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Smartwatch anxiety and unnecessary workupA patient's smartwatch alerts have them checking their heart rate dozens of times a day, and they want a cardiac workup despite a normal evaluation. Walk me through how you'd talk about it.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Online community conflictsA patient tells you their online support community knows their condition better than doctors do, and the community's advice conflicts with your plan. Walk me through how you'd engage.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Multi-child communicationAn inpatient's three adult children live in different cities, each calls separately for updates, and they relay conflicting versions to each other. The patient is alert and easygoing about it. Walk me through how you'd structure communication.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Capacity assessment with expressive aphasiaA patient with expressive aphasia after a stroke needs to make a treatment decision. Walk me through how you'd adapt your communication to give them a fair capacity assessment.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Explaining incidental findings without alarmA scan done for something else turns up an incidental finding that's probably benign but needs surveillance imaging for two years. Walk me through how you'd explain it without either alarming or falsely reassuring the patient.Breaking bad newsMid–senior

Patient embarrassed about portal strugglesAn older patient quietly admits they can't manage the portal, the e-check-in, or video visits, and they're embarrassed about it. Walk me through how you'd respond and adjust their care.Cultural humilityMid–senior

Caregiver exhaustion affecting patient careYour patient's care plan depends on a spouse who looks exhausted and admits they haven't slept properly in weeks. The patient hasn't noticed. Walk me through how you'd raise it with both of them.Family dynamicsMid–senior

Parent hesitant about childhood vaccineA parent is hesitant about a routine childhood vaccine after things they've read on social media. Walk me through the conversation.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Checking understanding in passive patientA patient nods along and agrees with everything you say, asking no questions. Walk me through how you'd check whether they actually understand enough to decide.Capacity assessmentEntry–mid

Delivering a metastatic cancer diagnosisA 28-year-old patient who was expecting routine test results learns they have metastatic melanoma. Walk me through how you'd deliver this unexpected news.Breaking bad newsEntry–senior

Declining inappropriate opioid refillsA patient with chronic pain is requesting opioid refills that you believe are inappropriate. Walk me through how you'd have this conversation while maintaining the therapeutic relationship.Motivational interviewingEntry–senior

Suicide attempt disclosureWalk me through how you'd tell parents that their teenager was admitted following a suicide attempt and that you're legally required to disclose certain information.Breaking bad newsMid–senior

Addressing weight avoidance sensitivelyA patient with obesity is avoiding discussing weight despite it being relevant to their presenting condition. Walk me through how you'd approach this sensitively.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Unsafe driving after new diagnosisA 70-year-old patient insists on driving despite a new diagnosis that may impair their ability. Walk me through how you'd assess decision-making capacity and address safety.Capacity assessmentMid–senior

Integrating traditional healing practicesA patient from an Indigenous community wants to incorporate traditional healing practices alongside your treatment plan. Walk me through your response.Cultural humilityEntry–senior

Father demanding aggressive end-of-life careA father is demanding aggressive treatment for his adult daughter who has expressed wishes for comfort care only. Walk me through how you'd navigate this conflict.Family dynamicsMid–leadership

Disclosing medical error and harmWalk me through how you'd tell a patient that a medical error occurred during their care and resulted in harm.Breaking bad newsSenior–leadership

Assessing capacity to refuse antipsychoticsA patient with schizophrenia is refusing antipsychotic medication while experiencing active delusions. Walk me through how you'd assess their capacity to refuse treatment.Capacity assessmentMid–senior

Patient cannot afford prescribed medicationA patient reveals they cannot afford the medication you're prescribing but is too embarrassed to discuss finances. Walk me through how you'd address this.Motivational interviewingEntry–mid

Medication timing during Ramadan fastingA Muslim patient is fasting for Ramadan and this complicates the timing of essential medications. Walk me through how you'd collaborate on a plan.Cultural humilityEntry–mid

Spouse reports patient's cognitive declineA patient's spouse privately tells you the patient is becoming forgetful and may not understand the treatment plan, but the patient insists they're fine. Walk me through your approach.Capacity assessmentMid–senior

Final embryo transfer unsuccessfulWalk me through how you'd tell a couple undergoing IVF that their final embryo transfer was unsuccessful.Breaking bad newsEntry–senior

Teenager autonomy versus parental controlA teenager with a chronic illness wants to manage their own care, but their parents are micromanaging every decision. Walk me through how you'd facilitate autonomy.Family dynamicsEntry–mid

Deaf patient interpretationA patient who is deaf is accompanied by a hearing family member offering to interpret, but you notice the patient seems frustrated. Walk me through your approach.Cultural humilityEntry–mid

Alcohol relapse after months soberA patient with alcohol use disorder has relapsed after months of sobriety. Walk me through how you'd approach the conversation without expressing judgment.Motivational interviewingEntry–senior

Career-ending injury for young athleteWalk me through how you'd inform a young athlete that an injury will end their competitive career.Breaking bad newsEntry–mid

Family wants terminal diagnosis withheldA patient's family is asking you to withhold a terminal diagnosis from the patient, citing cultural norms. Walk me through how you'd navigate this.Cultural humilityMid–leadership

Borderline personality splitting care teamA patient with borderline personality disorder is splitting the care team and making contradictory complaints. Walk me through how you'd address this in a therapeutic way.Family dynamicsMid–senior

Dementia and financial decisionsA patient with early dementia is making financial decisions their family considers reckless. Walk me through how you'd assess whether intervention is warranted.Capacity assessmentSenior–leadership

Transgender patient with family presentA patient discloses they're transgender but hasn't told their family, who are present. Walk me through how you'd navigate documentation and communication.Cultural humilityEntry–mid

Patient refusing rehabilitation after strokeA patient who survived a stroke is deeply depressed about their disability and has stopped participating in rehabilitation. Walk me through your conversation.Motivational interviewingMid–senior

Family disagreement on care intensityWalk me through how you'd conduct a family meeting when siblings disagree about pursuing palliative care versus continued aggressive treatment for their parent.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership

Personal treatment preferenceA patient asks you directly whether you would choose the treatment you're recommending if you were in their position. Walk me through your response.Breaking bad newsMid–senior

Challenging power of attorney decisionsA patient's adult child has durable power of attorney but is making decisions you believe are not in the patient's best interest. Walk me through your approach.Family dynamicsSenior–leadership