A Mesothelioma diagnosis can be stressful for anyone and therefore you will have a lot of questions. The following worksheets will guide you in asking the right questions when consulting a doctor about what the right course of treatment is best for you.

Doctor Worksheet 

Your Doctor:

Questions to Ask:

· Are you board certified?

Board certification indicates that a doctor has been trained in a certain specialty and has chosen to take certification exams given by doctors in the specialty. To maintain their certification, doctors must undergo continuing education after passing the exam. Specialists who have reached a higher level of achievement are receive the title of Fellow.

· What is your specialty?

· Do you have a subspecialty?

· What training have you had in treating my type of cancer?

Board certification indicates that a doctor has been trained in a certain specialty and has chosen to take certification exams given by doctors in the specialty. To maintain their certification, doctors must undergo continuing education after passing the exam. Specialists who have reached a higher plateau of achievement are rewarded with the title of Fellow.

· How long have you been in practice?

Experience is an essential clue. Years in practice are one measure, but the number of procedures performed or people treated for cancer also is significant. Because doctors doing research have usually published their findings in medical journals, you might ask for copies of articles in order to learn about their philosophy and approach.

· How can I locate articles that my doctor may have published on her or his research or on my type of cancer?

You may want to search on-line databases, such as Medline, which is available through the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Web Site at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed.

· How many patients with my illness have you treated in the past year?

Experience is important, but numbers in treating a particular type of cancer will be dependent somewhat on how common the cancer is within the population.

· Are you or others in your practice involved in clinical trials?

You want access to clinical trials if possible. If your doctor offers clinical trials, this indicates a certain level of academic/clinical expertise. Medical school affiliated hospitals usually offer clinical trials.

· What are your office hours? What is the usual wait for a patient to be seen?

You want hours that are flexible and that fit with your schedule. Ask if the office is open on Saturdays. If the wait averages 2 hours, you may want to consider a less crowded environment.

· How can you be contacted outside those hours?

The process of contacting your doctor in the off office hours needs to be simple and accessible. It should include coverage by a competent oncologist at all times, who can speak with you directly about your medical problem. Most office practices have a doctor on call to take calls from patients 24 hours/day.

· Who supervises your patients when you are on vacation?

Your doctor’s office should inform you when your doctor is going on vacation if you are being seen on a regular basis. The covering doctor should have similar background, experience, and credentials to your primary doctor. Your doctor may have a nurse practitioner that you know well. You may request that he or she cover your care for more continuity.

· Who besides you will be on your health care team?

You should minimally have a nurse and possibly a social worker on your health care team. You may want to make certain you have introduced yourself to the entire team for any future needs. If the doctor visit is typically 3 minutes long and the nurse visit is 30 minutes, you need to consider your comfort level with that system.

· What hospitals are you affiliated with?

A teaching affiliation with a prestigious medical school may be a plus. Academic doctors are also in touch with the newest, latest therapies.

· Which hospital do you use to admit your cancer patients to, and why?

· Is it possible to be directly admitted to the hospital under your doctor's recommendation without going through the emergency room first?

Evaluate the practicality of that hospital for you and its location. What is its local reputation?

· May I bring someone with me to my appointment?

· If I am hospitalized, may I bring a family member to stay with me? What is the facility's visiting policy?

You will want to know if family and friends are welcome as support throughout your cancer experience.

· Will you accept my type of health insurance?

Your Questions:

Notes:

Clinical Trial Worksheet 

Your Name:

Your Doctor:

Name of Study:

It is important that you get as much information as you can before deciding whether or not to participate in a clinical trial. Be familiar with your options and ask as many questions as you need to make sure you are comfortable with your decision. The following standard questions will get you started, but feel free to write down some of your own.

Questions to Ask About Clinical Trials:

· Why is this study being done?

· What is likely to happen in my case if I decide to participate/not to participate?

· What are my other options(standard treatments, other studies)? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

· What were the results of any previous studies of this treatment?

· What kinds of tests and treatments does the study involve? How often are they done?

· Will this require an extra time commitment on my part?

· Will I continue to be under the care of my doctor, or will I be seeing a different one (or both)?

· Will I have to travel somewhere to receive treatment? Will I be compensated for travel expenses?

· How could the study affect my daily life?

· Will I still be able to work/go to school?

· What side effects might I expect from the study treatment? (Remember that there can also be side effects from standard treatments and from the disease itself.)

· Will I have to be hospitalized? If so, how often and for how long?

· Will I have any costs? Will any of the treatment be free? Will insurance cover the rest?

· If I am harmed as a result of the research, what treatment will I be entitled to?

· How long will the study last?

· What type of long-term follow-up care is part of the study?

· Can I choose to continue to get this treatment, even after the study ends?

· Are there other sources of information about the study (for example, the Internet)?

· Are there others participating in the study I could speak to?

Your Questions:

Notes:

If You Decide to Participate…

Before starting the study, you will be asked to sign a form indicating your understanding of the clinical trial and your willingness to take part in it. This document is called a Consent Form. You do not waive any of your rights by signing the form. Remember that your participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason. Be sure to ask for a copy of the informed consent form.

Date Inform Consent Signed:

Date Copy of Form Received:

Date Started on Study:

Research coordinators are people (usually nurses) who will help you and your doctor to keep track of any tests and other activities that may need to be done during the study. They are also valuable sources of information should you have any questions related to the study. Be sure to note the name of your research coordinator and how to contact him or her.

Research Coordinator:

Contact Info:

Once you are accepted in the study, it is important to let your doctor know if you experience any symptoms that may be related to the study. Such symptoms may be associated with a new form of treatment or may have other causes, but you need to let your doctor know about them, especially if they are bothersome. Make sure you know whom to contact at all times.

Doctor:

Office Hours:

Contact Number:

After Hours Number:

Occasionally, as with many cancer patients, you may need to be hospitalized because of your symptoms. Be sure to let the hospital staff know if you are taking part in a study involving a new type of therapy and whom they can contact for more information if they need to. You may want to keep a copy of this worksheet with you in case such a situation arises.

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