Too Little Time, Too Many Questions: When 5 Minutes With Your Doctor Isn't Enough

Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment unsure of what was just said—or what to do next? You’re not alone. Even highly educated patients can walk away feeling confused about their diagnosis, medications, treatment plan, or how to prepare for a procedure. And the consequences can be serious: missed steps, wrong assumptions, and delays in care. In this episode of Speak Up For Your Health, Dr. Archelle Georgiou sits down with John Brownlee, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Vidscrip. His drive to improve patient understanding stems from a deeply personal place—watching his own mother struggle to recall her doctor’s instructions. With Vidscrip, he's closing the gap between what doctors say and what patients actually remember. You’ll learn: How to ask better, clearer questions—and why no question is “dumb” How to use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini—not to get medical answers, but to prepare smarter questions How platforms like Vidscrip are helping clinicians communicate more clearly and consistently Key Takeaways Be self-aware about your own health literacy. Even highly educated, highly literate individuals can struggle with fully understanding their medical condition and choices well enough to be able to make a fully informed decision. Make sure you have all your questions answered. Read the patient education materials you get from your provider; watch your doctor's videos if they use VidScrip. And if you still have questions, they are not dumb questions. Your healthcare provider would rather have you ask questions rather than having to cancel your surgery or not follow through on your treatment plan. ChatGPT and Gemini AI are great free online resources to help you prepare for a medical appointment. John didn't suggest using these tools to get answers to your questions, but to help you determine what questions to ask. Effectively using ChatGPT or Gemini AI depends on creating a good prompt. Here's a prompt you can use to generate a list of good questions to help guide your appointment PROMPT "I have an upcoming appointment with a doctor to discuss (FILL IN CONDITION OR PROCEDURE). Please suggest the questions I should ask to make sure that I a) understand my condition, b) know my alternatives, c) understand the risks and benefits of each alternative, d) make sure I respect my preferences and priorities and e) know to do on my end to make sure I have a good outcome." Links Get more information about vidscrip: https://studio.vidscrip.com/carenavigation/ Connect with Archelle ArcHealth Newsletter: ⁠https://www.archellemd.com/newsletter⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Instagram:  ⁠https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth