Questions to Elicit Patients’ Beliefs and Social Context

Resource: Eliciting the Patient’s Perspective (PDF, 76 KB, 3 pages)

This tool introduces respectful questioning as a way to help clinicians understand their patients’ cultural health beliefs, their socioeconomic circumstances and stressors, and barriers they face in taking care of their health. It can help clinicians and patients develop a mutually acceptable and realistic treatment that takes into account the patient’s social context. Expanding on the “Kleinman Questions,” which are especially useful in cross-cultural encounters, these prompts help primary care practices achieve Key Driver 5: Engage with patients and families in evidence-based care and quality improvement.

Institution of origin: Safety Net Medical Home Initiative, Qualis Health

Acknowledgements: The Commonwealth Fund, Qualis Health, and the MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation at the Group Health Research Institute.

Publication date: 2013