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Questions to Ask a Provider
Don't be afraid to ask questions at your first appointment with a mental health provider to decide if they will work for you. Here is a checklist of common questions. Decide which ones are most important to you and bring them with you.
Provider Specific
- What are your credentials?
- Are you licensed in this state?
- What level of education do you have?
- Do you have a particular approach, expertise or training?
- What experience do you have treating people with my condition?
- In your practice, do you have someone who prescribes medicine?
- Do you deal directly with my insurance plan or do I need to?
- How much will treatment cost me? Am I responsible for a co-payment?
- Do you have admitting privileges at a hospital?
- Are you willing to communicate with my other doctors and therapists to coordinate care?
Appointments
- How hard is it to schedule an appointment?
- What times are you available to see me?
- How often do you recommend seeing me?
- Do you accept walk-in appointments?
- Do you require appointments for everything or can I conduct some transactions (refills, adjustments, referrals) over the phone?
- What happens if I need to cancel or change an appointment? Is there a fee?
After Hours
- How hard is it to contact you outside of business hours?
- Do you charge for non-emergency consults after hours?
- Will I be able to contact you in an emergency?
- Do you have an off-site receptionist during off-hours to assist me in the case of an emergency?
- If you aren't available, is there a staff member who is "on call"?
- What kind of other staff do you use - interns, students, physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, etc?
Appointment Time
- What can I expect during a typical appointment? How long will it last?
- Will I get time to ask questions?
- Will you be asking about other elements of my life?
- Do I have to talk about things I do not want to?
Therapy/Treatment
- What are the risks and benefits associated with my treatment?
- How soon could I expect to see signs of feeling better?
- How long will my therapy sessions last?
Medication
- Are there going to be side effects to my medication?
- Are there alternative treatments that would be beneficial to recovery?
- Will symptoms return in the future? What will the warning signs be?
Talk to a Pharmacist
Do you have extra questions about medications? MHA has a partnership with Walgreens and together we want to help. Visit their Pharmacy Chat and speak to someone today for extra help.
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