Open-Ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with
a simple Yes or No. Open-ended questions are a statement that
requires a response.
Open-ended questions encourage the patient to disclose more
information and help the physician or other healthcare worker to
better assess the patient's condition. For eg: Question that can be
asked to a patient suffering from Diarrhea are:
- How are you feeling today? The patient will explain his reasons
for seeing the doctor.
- What discomfort or symptoms are you experiencing.
- Asking about the symptoms and when did they first experience
it.
- Questions regarding their diet and what kind of food they eat
and if they have allergies of any kind.
- A question like How are you taking your medicines could also be
asked if the patient came for a follow-up session or to show their
lab reports.
Closed-ended questions are questions that have a direct answer
in the form of yes or no. Set one-word answers that don't provide
much information are called closed-ended answers.
- Are you feeling well.
- Are you taking medicines exactly as the doctor told you
to.
- Asking specific problem-related questions are also closed-ended
questions.
- Are you experiencing vomiting and motions regularly?
- Is your Stool dark in color?
Ice-breaking questions are thought-provoking questions that make
the answerer to ponder and think of the question and come up with
an answer.
Some icebreaking questions are:
- If could go back in time and change one thing, what would it
be?
- If you are the only person alive left on earth, How will you
live your life?
- If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what
would it be?
- If you somehow won a lottery, what would be the first thing you
spend your money on?