What to bring to a specialist appointment

The short answer: Bring your health or insurance card, a current medication list, your allergies, a short written history of the problem, recent test results the specialist may not have, and your questions written down with the most important first.

The checklist

• Health card or insurance card, and photo ID
• Any referral paperwork the specialist's office sent you
• A current list of every medicine with its dose, including vitamins and anything bought without a prescription
• Allergies and past reactions
• A short history of the problem: when it started, how often it happens, and what makes it better or worse
• Recent test results, imaging reports and letters from other doctors, if the specialist may not have them
• Names and phone numbers of the family doctor and any other specialists
• Your questions, written down, with the most important first
• Something to take notes with, or a second person who can take them

For a child, add their immunization record and any notes from school or daycare about the problem.

Write down the history before you go

Specialists usually ask when a problem started and how it has changed. Details are easy to forget in the exam room. A few dated notes, such as "March 3: dizzy after standing up, lasted ten minutes," give the specialist something exact to work with. Photos help for anything you can see, like a rash or swelling that comes and goes. If you have not been keeping notes, our guide to keeping a symptom diary shows a simple way to start.

Prepare your questions

The National Institute on Aging suggests listing your concerns in order of importance before the visit, so the most important ones are covered first. The United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers a tool called QuestionBuilder that helps you choose and save questions for an appointment. Questions people often bring include:

• What do you think is causing this?
• What tests do you need, and how will we hear about the results?
• What should we watch for before the next visit, and who do we call if it happens?
• Will you send a report to the family doctor?

Bring someone along

A second person can listen, take notes and remember what was said. If you are going with a parent, agree beforehand who will speak first. Some clinics will ask your parent to confirm that you can take part in the conversation.

After the visit

Write down what was decided the same day: any new or changed medicines, tests that were booked, the date of the next appointment, and what to watch for. Update the medication list straight away, and share the notes with anyone else who helps.

Common questions

Should I bring my pill bottles or a medication list?

The National Institute on Aging notes that some doctors ask patients to bring all their medicines in a bag, and others ask for a list of everything they take with the doses. If you are not sure, ask the office which they prefer. A list is easier to hand over and keep up to date.

How do I make the most of a short appointment?

Write your questions down before the visit with the most important first, bring dated notes about the problem, and ask someone to come along and take notes.

Can a family member come to the appointment?

Yes. A second person can listen and take notes. Some clinics will ask the patient to confirm that the family member can take part in the conversation.

What should I do after the appointment?

Write down what was decided the same day: new or changed medicines, tests booked, the next appointment and what to watch for. Then update the medication list.