Prepare for a Doctor Visit: Questions and Follow-Up Worksheet

Before you go

Write your main concern at the top of a page. Note when it began, what changes it, and how it affects everyday activities. Add two or three questions you most want answered; a short list is easier to use during a time-limited appointment than a long symptom diary.

Bring a current list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and allergies. Ask about an interpreter or accessibility support before the visit if needed. A trusted person can help listen or take notes, but you can also ask the clinic for written instructions.

During the conversation

Describe what you have observed rather than guessing at a diagnosis. Mention barriers to a previous treatment, including side effects, cost, or difficulty following the schedule. If a question is unclear, ask the clinician to explain it in everyday language.

Useful questions include: What are the possible explanations? What would a test tell us? What happens if we wait? What symptoms mean I should seek help sooner? The answers will depend on your history; this list is a conversation aid, not a request for a particular test or medicine.

Leave with a usable plan

Before leaving, repeat the agreed next step in your own words. Record who will arrange a test or referral, when results are expected, and how to contact the care team if they do not arrive. If medicine is prescribed, confirm how to take it and whom to call about problems; do not alter it based on this article.

After the visit, keep the summary and results together. Contact the team if instructions are unclear or symptoms change. Sudden or severe symptoms need prompt local assessment rather than waiting for a routine follow-up.

Use one appointment sheet from preparation to follow-up

Before the visit, write one main concern, when it began, how it affects daily life and the two questions you most want to discuss. Record observations rather than choosing a diagnosis. Keep medicine names and allergies accurate; ask the clinic which records it wants you to bring.

During the visit, leave a space for the clinician’s explanation and the agreed next step. Afterward, record who arranges a test or referral, when results are expected and whom to contact if they do not arrive. Keep your own interpretation separate from instructions received from the care team.

The editable worksheet below is an organizing aid, not a symptom checker or treatment plan. It combines the earlier appointment-preparation and appointment-notes guides. Its fields were designed for this article; NIA also provides official downloadable worksheets in the sources. Do not enter emergency concerns and wait for a website response: this page sends no form to a clinician.

Sources and scope

MedlinePlus: Talking with your doctor

NIA: Talking with your doctor worksheets

Prepared with AI assistance. The scope and source links were reviewed on October 26, 2026; this article has not been reviewed by a clinician. It is general educational information, not diagnosis or individual treatment advice. The UShotNews worksheet is an organizing aid, not a validated medical assessment. Seek appropriate local help for urgent or worsening symptoms.