• Open ended question that allows the patient to set the agenda – such as:

“What would you like to discuss today?”

“How can I help you?”

“What would you like to talk about today?”

• For junior learners who are interviewing inpatients for preclinical courses asking “What problems brought you to the hospital?” may alleviate confusion about the goals of the interview for patients who have been  admitted to hospital for some time.

Follow up visits

• When patients come for a second visit to discuss progress of an illness or results of tests, continue to assess the patient’s agenda:

“Thank you for coming back to follow up on the blood work.  Is there anything else you wanted to talk about today?”

Silverman, J., Kurtz, S., & Draper, J. (2013). Skills for Communicating with Patients (Thrid Edit). London: Radcliffe Publishing.