Patient question
When seeing a doctor for coronary heart disease, the doctor mentioned the success rate of a plan. How do I ask what this number means for me?
Answer reviewed by Zhou Kaiyu, Chief Physician
Professional answer
You can ask what exactly 'success' means, what time period the statistic covers, what type of patients it comes from, and whether your situation matches those conditions. Also ask the doctor to explain possible unfavorable outcomes and other options. If a personal prediction is not available right now, you can ask the doctor to explain where the uncertainty comes from. Do not treat the overall number as a guarantee of your individual result.