In a survey in Britain of surgical patients, they were asked to rank questions according to how difficult they were to ask to a doctor. Questions regarding safety, like hand washing, were the most difficult questions to ask, according to Tara Parker-Pope writing her Well blog for the New York Times. Don't worry about offending your doctor, however, please ask your doctor to wash his or her hands before touching you or performing any procedure. Hand washing helps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like MRSA.