Doctor appointment checklist: prepare, ask and take notes

Appointment checklist

Date and time:

Location or link:

My main concern:

What changed since my last visit:

□ Questions in priority order
□ Medication list checked
□ Records and documents ready
□ Date, time and location checked

1. Question:
Answer / instructions received:

2. Question:
Answer / instructions received:

3. Question:
Answer / instructions received:

Agreed next action:

When:

How to ask follow-up questions:

Start with your main concern

A long list can hide the issue you most want to discuss. The NIH recommends putting concerns in priority order and raising the most important ones first. Write your reason for the appointment in a sentence, then choose the questions you do not want to forget.

The purpose is not to rehearse a perfect answer. It is to organize what you know, what has changed and what you still need to understand. Mark any uncertainty instead of feeling that you must fill every gap in the story.

Get ready in four steps

1. Choose your priorities. Make your main concern easy to find and choose up to three questions for the sheet, in priority order. Use the back if you need more room.
2. Gather current information. Set aside your medication list, the notes you want to discuss and any documents or results requested by the practice. Check the appointment date, time, location or video link.
3. Select specific records. Choose dated notes with context rather than relying entirely on memory. Keep your available history with you, but mark the entries you particularly want to show.
4. Make room for answers. Leave space beside each question for the explanation and any action you agree on.

One sheet for preparation, three questions and their answers. Tick the boxes as you get ready, then write down instructions during the conversation.

Appointment checklist

Date and time

Location or link

My main concern

What changed since my last visit

• □ Questions in priority order
• □ Medication list checked
• □ Records and documents ready
• □ Date, time and location checked

Three questions and their answers

Question	Answer / instructions received

Agreed next action

When

How to ask follow-up questions

If instructions are incomplete, ask the practice to clarify them before acting on them as treatment instructions.

During the visit: check your understanding

Mention your main concern early in the conversation. If an explanation is unclear, ask for it in different words. MedlinePlus suggests taking notes and asking for written instructions when you need them. You can repeat your understanding back to check whether you recorded it correctly.

Afterwards: separate instructions from open questions

Review your notes while the conversation is still fresh. Identify the instructions, unresolved questions and the agreed way to get in touch. Keep unresolved questions separate from instructions you have already confirmed.