Sometimes it’s the little things that can mess you up. Case in point: sensitively asking where your recently-arrived immigrant patient is from or may recently have been. This information allows you to offer country-specific screenings for asymptomatic conditions that can cause health problems later. But depending on immigration status or other factors, it can be a delicate and potentially fraught conversation.

A guide sheet from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers basic principles and a loose script on how to approach patients. Download the PDF, Ask Where: Communication Guidance for Clinicians Implementing Immigrant Child Health Screening in Primary Care here.