A patient asks you a question you do not know the answer to. What should you tell the patient?

A patient asks you a question you do not know the answer to. What should you tell the patient?

• A. I will look up the question with you to find an answer
• B. I will guess and provide an answer
• C. I don't know and will not look into it
• D. I can't help you at all

Answer: (A)

When a patient asks something you don’t know, the important practice is to be honest about your limits and commit to finding the right answer with them. This approach keeps patient safety first, avoids giving incorrect information, and builds trust by showing you’re responsible and collaborative. Instead of guessing, you acknowledge you don’t have the answer at that moment and outline a plan to verify it using reliable sources, guidelines, or expert input, and then share the answer with the patient once you’ve checked. Saying you’ll look it up together demonstrates respect for the patient’s needs and supports shared decision-making. Reason this works: it ensures the information you provide is accurate, you can explain the basis for the answer, and you can follow up promptly with sources or a clear explanation. It also models professional behavior—owning what you don’t know, taking steps to learn, and involving the patient in the process. Other approaches—guessing, avoiding the question, or saying you can’t help at all—risk misinformation, undermine trust, and leave the patient unsupported.

When a patient asks something you don’t know, the important practice is to be honest about your limits and commit to finding the right answer with them. This approach keeps patient safety first, avoids giving incorrect information, and builds trust by showing you’re responsible and collaborative. Instead of guessing, you acknowledge you don’t have the answer at that moment and outline a plan to verify it using reliable sources, guidelines, or expert input, and then share the answer with the patient once you’ve checked. Saying you’ll look it up together demonstrates respect for the patient’s needs and supports shared decision-making.

Reason this works: it ensures the information you provide is accurate, you can explain the basis for the answer, and you can follow up promptly with sources or a clear explanation. It also models professional behavior—owning what you don’t know, taking steps to learn, and involving the patient in the process. Other approaches—guessing, avoiding the question, or saying you can’t help at all—risk misinformation, undermine trust, and leave the patient unsupported.