Printable checklist
Appointment checklist
One page for a parent’s appointment, from the day before to the day after. Print it, or keep it open on your phone.
Before the visitThe day before, or the morning of
- Write the three questions that matter most.
- List current medications and doses, or bring the bottles.
- Bring insurance cards, ID, and any forms the office asked for.
- Ask your parent what they want you to ask, and what they want kept private.
- Ask about recording: your parent first, then the clinic. Check the clinic’s policy.
- Tell your siblings the date and time, and agree who sends the recap.
- Charge your phone. Bring a pen and paper as backup.
DuringIn the room
- Ask permission out loud before you record, and get the yes from everyone present.
- Ask what changed since last time: medicines, doses, plans.
- Say it back: “So we should… Is that right?”
- Ask: what should we watch for, and when should we call?
- Ask how results will reach you and how long they usually take.
- Write down any word you don’t know. Ask the clinician to spell it.
Before you leave the buildingFive minutes, in the hallway
- Instructions: what to do, and what to stop doing.
- Medication changes: started, stopped, new dose. Exact names.
- Tests ordered: what, where, by when, who schedules it.
- Who calls whom, and in how many days. Which number to call.
- Next appointment: booked, or who books it and by when.
- Ask for a printed summary or portal access if the office offers one.
After: the 10-minute routineThe same day
- Minutes 0–3. Write the visit in three sentences while it’s fresh.
- Minutes 3–6. Turn every instruction into a task: verb, owner, date.
- Minutes 6–8. Send one message to the family: what happened, what changed, who does what by when, what’s still open.
- Minutes 8–10. Put the dates in a calendar or reminders. Update the medication list.
Next timeBefore the next visit
- Reread last time’s notes. Which tasks are still open?
- Put unanswered questions at the top of the new list.
- Bring the updated medication list.
- Change one thing that didn’t work.
Fill in
Who / where:
Date:
Next appointment:
Who calls whom:
advct.app