4 Questions to ask your TMS Provider Before Treatment

Like many people, you may have sought information online before deciding to get a TMS consultation. You may also be nervous about whether you know exactly what to ask your doctor about this treatment option. We at Greenbrook TMS applaud patients who want to be informed and advocate for their health, and we firmly believe that you have a right to know about your doctor's background and the treatment at hand. No provider should be offended by your questions, and you should find a TMS doctor who is willing to answer any questions you might have.

An outdated view of the doctor-patient relationship is that the patient should do whatever their doctor tells them to, rather than the patient being informed and then agreeing with their doctor's assessment and treatment plan. In a modern doctor-patient relationship, you can participate in your health care by researching beforehand and advocating for yourself.

If you're feeling nervous about questioning your doctor, adopting this view of the doctor-patient relationship may help. After all, you are a consumer of health care, and that means you're paying money for a service. Think of choosing health care the same way you might choose a dish at a restaurant. The staff is there to guide your choice, but the decision ultimately is yours. If you're not sure what to ask your doctor, here are five questions to start the conversation.

1. Who Will Perform My Treatments?

You have a right to know who is treating you, first and foremost. You can ask where your provider went to medical school, what their specialty is, and whether they are board-certified. You can also ask how they maintain their certification for TMS and whom they go to for consultation for a question they have. You deserve to know the circumstances of your care.

At Greenbrook your doctor will perform a test to identify your motor threshold, which is how we determine your treatment intensity and location. After your first treatment, a TMS technician will treat you based on the motor threshold sequence your doctor previously determined.

2. How Long Have You Been Doing TMS?

TMS has only been more common for the last several years, so your care provider might not have been trained in TMS in medical school or residency. That’s okay, so long as they’ve had training and experience in the field. Other questions you might ask with respect to training include, "How did you train?" and "How many cases do you treat a year?" With all medical treatments, provider experience is important, and if you are only a doctor's third case, you have a right to know that.

You should feel comfortable asking how many of your provider's patients see improvements, face setbacks, or experience side effects, as well as how those outcomes are determined. If your provider's outcomes are generally not favorable, you should be aware of that. While unfavorable outcomes may be the result of particularly difficult cases, it could also be a red flag that prompts you to seek a second opinion.

4. Will TMS Work for Me?

You want to make sure TMS therapy is clinically appropriate for you and that you understand why your doctor is recommending TMS therapy. You can also ask how many sessions you will have, what the schedule will be, how long the treatments will last, and whether you will need to return for more treatments.

In addition to asking the questions suggested here, you may want to do your own research on TMS therapy once you find a suitable doctor so you can decide what to ask them. Apart from Greenbrook's website, you can see videos of TMS on our YouTube channel to aid in forming your own questions.

You are always welcome to bring someone with you to an appointment to advocate for you, though the pandemic may pose some restrictions, so check with your provider before you bring someone into the clinic. We at Greenbrook TMS are committed to answering your questions and supporting you on your journey to find a TMS doctor.