How to work effectively with your doctor to take charge of your healthcare Like any successful partnership, good communication is the key to an effective patient-doctor relationship. The American Medical Association Guide to Talking to Your Doctor helps readers understand how to become active participants in an ongoing dialogue with their doctor about their health risks and medical care. Readers will learn, for example, what questions to ask their doctor, what information their doctor needs to know about them, and how to help loved ones get the healthcare they need.