I’m really loving a series of clever – and spot-on accurate – commercials that encourage patients to question their doctors like they would anyone else.

The ads illustrate how most of us will give wait staff and sales clerks the third degree when it comes to the food and products we buy, but we rarely do much more than nod and say OK at the doctor’s office. We talked to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which produced the ad series and we totally agree with their stance on how important it is for patients to be active participants in the process:

"Consumers need to do their part to get good health care quality, and their part is being involved with their health care, particularly by asking questions about their treatment options" said Allan Lazar, director of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer.  "We encourage all consumers to go to www.ahrq.gov and click on the figure in the upper right hand corner. There is lots of information for consumers---and a “question builder” that has nearly 100 questions that you can pick from to ask your medical professional."

As you well know, at Angie's List, we focus mostly on the importance of good service, whether it’s a physician or another type of service provider. We'd hate to see you waste all the work you do to find the best doctor in town by not continuing that quest for good help in the examination room.

So don’t let the white coat intimidate you: Speak up!  (and then tell us how it went, of course…)