In most situations, you will need to find out more information about the symptoms and what has been happening.

You may already use the TED tool in your consultations when using probing questions to gain a better understanding of what is going on.

The TED tool outlines three ways to start a question:

• Tell – “You said you are taking the painkillers for joint pain – tell me more about that?”
• Explain – “Explain to me why you’re worried about these symptoms?”
• Describe – “You say the periods have changed. Can you describe how they have changed to me?”

You should be mindful of your tone of voice when using these questions. It’s important to make sure that the patient feels their concerns are valid, and that they are being listened to.