Ask what this trial is intended to answer
A trial of therapy, a brace, activity changes, a medicine, or another approach can serve different purposes. Ask whether the aim is to improve a particular symptom, build function, learn about the source of a problem, or prepare for a later decision. You should know what the team hopes to learn even if the exact response is uncertain. 'We will try this first' becomes more useful when it includes why that first step is appropriate for you.
Compare the reasonable options together
AHRQ’s SHARE framework emphasizes comparing benefits and harms and discussing what matters to the patient. Ask which choices apply to your diagnosis and whether there is a reason to favor one now. Include the possibility of continuing the current approach or waiting only if the clinician considers it reasonable. If symptoms or findings make delay a concern, ask what changes the timeline. Nonsurgical care is an individual choice within a clinical plan, not a universal requirement before every operation.
Turn the recommendation into doable actions
AHRQ’s action-planning guidance recommends specific, manageable steps linked to a goal the patient values. Ask exactly what you should do, how often, with what equipment or support, and who demonstrates it. Name a barrier before it becomes a missed plan: work hours, travel, cost, uncertainty about a movement, or trouble using a brace. If the plan has several parts, ask which are essential first and how to introduce them in a way you can follow.
Sources: AHRQ: Make Action Plans, Tool 15
Agree on what a useful response would look like
Choose a task or symptom to discuss at review, such as a longer walk, easier use of a hand, or fewer interruptions to sleep. Record the starting point without turning the trial into constant self-monitoring. Ask what counts as enough improvement to continue and what a limited response might mean. A treatment may help one goal without helping another; bring both observations to the follow-up. That makes the decision more specific than labeling the entire trial a success or a failure.
Know the review point and the earlier-call plan
Ask when you will reassess, who makes that appointment, and which changes should bring you back sooner. If a medicine or injection is included, confirm personal risks and the route for questions about an unexpected response. Do not extend, repeat, or stop a prescribed treatment without discussing the relevant instructions. If the first trial helps only briefly or cannot be carried out, ask what that teaches the team and whether the diagnosis, amount, or approach needs another look.
Make the next decision with our team
Our physicians, pain-management clinicians, and physical therapists at Commons Clinic bring different expertise to orthopedic care. The profiles below can help you find the relevant starting point. Bring your goal and the treatments already attempted, including what you could realistically follow. Ask the clinician to explain how the trial fits the larger plan and what choices may follow it. A useful trial should leave you with a better understanding of your response and a clear next conversation.
Ask what would make the trial worth continuing
AMA informed-consent guidance includes alternatives and the burdens of treatment. A nonsurgical trial deserves that same discussion: what are we hoping to learn, what would count as worthwhile benefit, and what commitment does it require? Ask our clinician how the trial fits your diagnosis and whether delaying a different option carries a concern in your situation. Discuss time, cost, travel, and your ability to follow the plan. The decision is easier to review when the intended purpose is written down before you begin, rather than reconstructed after several visits.
Sources: Informed Consent — AMA Code of Medical Ethics, Opinion 2.1.1
Set a review point and a meaningful measure
APTA guidance uses an initial functional baseline and ongoing reassessment to guide a therapy plan. If your treatment trial includes physical therapy, ask which task or measure will be compared at review. Explain the activities you need for work or home and any limits on attending sessions. Agree on what information to bring back and whom to contact if a new concern appears. If the first approach is not helping, ask whether the next decision concerns the diagnosis, the way treatment is delivered, or the choice of another option.
Make the most of your visit
Questions to bring to your consultation
Choose the questions that matter most to you. Bring them along, and ask us to explain anything that is unclear.
- What question is this treatment trial intended to answer?
- Why is it a reasonable first step for my diagnosis?
- Which other options should I compare?
- What exactly should I do, and what support will I need?
- Which activity or symptom will we use to judge the response?
- When will we reassess, and who schedules that review?
- Which changes should make me contact the team earlier?
- What will we consider if the benefit is limited or short-lived?
- What question should this treatment trial answer before we decide to continue it?
- What personal downside or risk would make this trial inappropriate to prolong?
- If the review shows little change, which part of the plan will we reconsider first?
Sources & further reading
- AHRQ: Essential Steps of Shared Decision Making
- AHRQ: Make Action Plans, Tool 15
- Informed Consent — AMA Code of Medical Ethics, Opinion 2.1.1American Medical Association
- Documentation: Initial Examination and EvaluationAmerican Physical Therapy Association
We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.
