Lesson 6 of 7 · about 13 minutes

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Words worth knowing: a glossary for visits, decisions, and prevention

Health care comes with a lot of vocabulary. Knowing a handful of terms can make conversations feel less mysterious. I’ve grouped these by theme. You don’t need to memorize anything; come back whenever a word pops up.

Preparing and communicating

Ask Me 3

A program from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement encouraging three questions at every visit: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this? It was designed by health literacy experts to strengthen communication between people, families, and clinicians.

Teach-back

A way of checking understanding where you say, in your own words, what you need to know or do. AHRQ describes it as a check on how clearly the clinician explained, not a test of you.

Show-me method

A cousin of teach-back: you demonstrate a skill, like using an inhaler, so you and your clinician can confirm the steps are clear.

QuestionBuilder

A free app and online tool from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that helps you choose and save questions before a visit. Available in English and Spanish.

Interpreter

A trained person who helps you and your clinician communicate across languages. MedlinePlus suggests calling the office ahead if you’d like one.

Making decisions

Shared decision-making

A process where you and your clinician choose together, combining the best available evidence with what matters most to you.

BRAN

Four questions promoted by Choosing Wisely UK: What are the Benefits? What are the Risks? What are the Alternatives? What if I do Nothing?

Decision aid

A tool, such as a booklet, video, or website, that explains options, benefits, and risks for a specific decision and helps you think about your values. A 2024 Cochrane review of 209 trials found that people who used decision aids knew more about their options and had more accurate expectations about benefits and risks.

Ottawa Personal Decision Guide

A free, general, two-page worksheet that helps anyone think through a decision: naming it, reviewing options, clarifying what matters most, and planning next steps.

Decisional conflict

The feeling of being unsure which option to choose, often because you don’t feel informed enough or aren’t clear on what matters most. Decision aids have been shown to reduce it.

Watchful waiting

An approach where you and your clinician decide to monitor something over time instead of treating it right away. It’s one possible answer to “What if I do nothing?” and is only reasonable for some situations.

Preventive care

Preventive care aims to keep you healthy or find concerns early, before you notice symptoms. In the United States, a key source of evidence is the USPSTF.

USPSTF

An independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine, established in 1984. Members come from fields including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology, and nursing. They review evidence on screenings, counseling, and preventive medicines. Their recommendations apply to people who don’t have signs or symptoms of the condition in question.

Screening

A test to look for a condition before symptoms appear. Examples of topics with USPSTF A or B recommendations include blood pressure screening for adults and colorectal cancer screening for adults ages 45 to 75. Which screenings fit you depends on things like your age, history, and risk factors, which is a great conversation to have with your own clinician.

USPSTF letter grades

  • A: recommended; high certainty the net benefit is substantial.
  • B: recommended; high certainty the net benefit is moderate, or moderate certainty it is moderate to substantial.
  • C: offered selectively based on a person’s circumstances and preferences; at least moderate certainty of a small net benefit.
  • D: recommended against; moderate or high certainty of no net benefit or that harms outweigh benefits.
  • I statement: the evidence isn’t enough to weigh benefits and harms. If such a screening or test is offered, people should understand the uncertainty.

C and I grades are perfect moments for shared decision-making and the BRAN questions.

MyHealthfinder

A free tool from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, part of HHS, the U.S. federal health department. You enter age, sex, and pregnancy status and get a list of screening tests and vaccines to talk about with your clinician.

After the visit and beyond

Online health portal

A secure website or app where you may be able to see test results, visit notes, immunizations, and other health information, and often send messages. HealthIT.gov notes that most people who used their portal found it helpful and easy to understand.

Right of access

Under HIPAA, you have a right to access your health records. HealthIT.gov explains that a healthcare office can take up to 30 days to provide your records, with a possible 30-day extension (some states require faster), and that electronic access will likely be free.

Telehealth

Health care delivered at a distance, by video, phone, or other technology. NIA notes it can also include communicating through an online health portal.

Advance directive

A document describing your wishes for medical care if you can’t speak for yourself. NIA encourages talking about these while you’re healthy.

A quick self-check

Try explaining three of these words to yourself, or to a friend, in your own words. That’s teach-back in action.

Sources

Definitions here are simplified for general learning. For what any term means for your own health, check in with your own clinician.

Education, not medical care. This was shared by a Verified Poéma Professional so you can learn. It’s their own professional view, not Poéma’s, and it isn’t guidance for your own situation. For questions about your health, talk with your own clinician. In an emergency, call 911.

Something here not seem right? Report a concern privately to the Poéma team.

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