Opinion: The question list is a simple way to help patients prepare for appointments
The term for a patient who lists their questions was likely coined in the late 19th century in the clinic of Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière. Known as la maladie du petit papier, or the illness of the little paper, the derogatory descriptor was inherently feminine and usually reserved for hypochondriacs making a laundry list of their purported ailments.
As researchers in and proponents of the burgeoning field of shared decision-making, we now know that doctors shouldn’t be so dismissive of patients who bring in a list of questions. In fact, medical systems should be promoting the practice.
