Potential questions to ask your healthcare team
This page shows the basic guideline for parents to prepare their consultation with healthcare teams, effectively communicate with the healthcare team, and help parents better understand their children’s diagnosis, treatment preparation, treatment options, and follow-up cares.
Here are some sample questions you can ask for your healthcare team:
Phase I: after diagnosis
Can you explain my child’s pathology report to me?
What do my children need to prepare physically and mentally for this diagnosis?
What stage is cancer? What is the prognosis?
Phase II: treatment options/selection
Pros and cons of different treatments
What is the goal of the treatment? What are the success rate and relapse rate?
What are the possible side effects of each treatment (short and long-term)?
Will the treatment affect my child’s normal growth and development?
How will the treatment affect my child’s life? Can they still go to school or require special activities?
How to cooperate with the healthcare team to finish the treatment?
What support services are available to my child and my family?
Phase III: treatment preparation
Can you describe my children’s recovery from the surgery?
Potential side effects of different treatments, preparation, and minimize influence?
How long will the surgery take and how long will my children be in the hospital?
Will my children receive the treatment at a hospital, clinic, or at home? And what’s the difference?
How to communicate with my children effectively and notice any side effects in time?
What can I do to relieve the side effects?
Phase IV: aftercare
What is the cancer relapse rate? How should I observe for any special signs or symptoms?
After receiving treatment, how long the side effects will last?
What follow-up tests will my children need, and how often?
How do I get a treatment summary and survivorship care plan to keep in my personal records?