Key points
- NICE recommends offering people resources before a discussion so they can think about what matters to them and the questions they want to ask.1
- A Cochrane review of 209 studies and 107,698 participants found decision aids raised knowledge by 11.9 points on a 100-point scale.4
- Decision aids used before the consultation made no difference to its length.4
- A wai Profile puts your whole record on one timeline and answers your questions about it beforehand, with a clear line to your clinician.5
Summary
Bring your record and a short list of questions in order of importance, and say at the start what you most want from the appointment. Preparing beforehand raises what you know without lengthening the consultation, and the plan is one you choose with your clinician.
You leave the appointment with a clear plan you helped choose, and every question that mattered answered. It starts a few days before, with your record gathered and your questions written down.
See it in your clinicThirty minutes on your own patients and doctors.
Request a demoBring your results and letters to your next appointment on one timeline, with plain-language answers to your questions beforehand.
| When | What to do | What to bring or ask |
|---|---|---|
| A few days before | Write why you are going and what you hope will happen | One sentence at the top of your notes |
| A few days before | Gather your record | Recent results, letters from other clinics, current medication list |
| The day before | Start with the three NICE questions | What are my options? What are the possible benefits and risks of those options? How can we make a decision together that is right for me? |
| The day before | Add practical questions | What is the test for? When will I get the results? Are there any side effects? |
| The day before | Note what has changed | When it started, what helps, what makes it worse |
| In the room | Say what you most want first | Your most important question |
| Before you leave | Repeat back the plan | What was decided and when it will be reviewed |
| The same day | Update your record | Add the letter and any medication change |
Shared decision making
You and your clinician choose together, weighing the options against what matters to you. NICE recommends that clinicians accept that a person's view of the balance of risks and benefits may differ from their own, make a joint decision or plan, and agree when it will be reviewed.1
NICE also recommends offering people resources before a discussion, so they can think about what matters to them and the questions they would like to ask.1
What preparation does
A Cochrane review of 209 studies with 107,698 participants found that patient decision aids raised knowledge by 11.9 points on a 100-point scale and nearly doubled the share of people with accurate risk perceptions.4 They cut the share of people left passive in the decision by 28%, with no difference in decision regret.4
Used before the consultation, decision aids made no difference to its length. Used during it, they added about 1.5 minutes.4
Bring your record
Bring recent results, letters from other clinics, your current medication list and a short timeline of the problem, covering when it started and what changes it.
NICE suggests information systems can support these discussions by showing a person's past decisions and preferences, for example through a patient-held record.1 Keeping the list current is covered in how to keep an accurate medication history.
Questions to bring
Start with the three questions NICE suggests organisations prompt patients to ask, set out in the checklist below.1 AHRQ adds practical ones, such as what a test is for, when the results will come, how to spell the name of a drug, whether it interacts with medicines you already take, and whether there are alternatives.2
AHRQ's QuestionBuilder lets you choose or write questions and save them to a calendar appointment.3 Put them in order of importance so the one that matters most is answered first.
In the room and after
Say at the start what you most want from the appointment, and take notes or bring someone with you. NICE recommends that clinicians ask whether you want family, friends, carers or advocates involved.1
Before you leave, repeat back what was decided and when it will be reviewed. NICE recommends that clinicians state clearly at the end of a discussion what decisions have been made.1 Add the letter to your record and update your medication list the same day.
Preparing with a wai Profile
A wai Profile keeps your results, letters, prescriptions and wearable readings on one timeline, so the record you bring is complete.5 Ask about a result or a medication beforehand and you get an answer grounded in your own record and current evidence, with citations, and a clear line when it is time to see your clinician.5
The decision is yours to make with your clinician. Set up your wai Profile, open to everyone now. Reading the results you bring is covered in how to read and understand your lab report.
Where to start
Two days before, write one sentence on why you are going and what you hope will happen, then gather your results, letters and medication list.
List your questions in order, starting with the three from NICE. If symptoms change sharply before the appointment, contact a clinician without waiting, and in an emergency call your local emergency number. Then walk in ready to leave with a plan you chose together.
Set up your wai Profile and bring your whole record to your next appointment, with your questions answered in plain language beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to a doctor's appointment?
Recent results, letters from other clinics, your current medication list, a short timeline of the problem and your questions in order of importance.
What is shared decision making?
Choosing together with your clinician, weighing the options against what matters to you, and agreeing when the decision will be reviewed.1
What if the appointment runs out of time?
Ask your most important question first. If more remains, ask how to follow up, by message or at a further appointment.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. NICE recommends that clinicians ask whether you want family members, friends, carers or advocates involved.1
Do decision aids make appointments longer?
Used before the consultation, they made no difference to its length in a Cochrane review. Used during it, they added about 1.5 minutes.4
Can wai tell me what to decide?
No. A wai Profile helps you prepare with answers grounded in your own record, with citations and a clear line when it is time to see a clinician.5 The decision is made with your clinician.
Sources
- 1National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021Shared decision making, NICE guideline NG197, recommendationsRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 2Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityThe 10 Questions You Should KnowRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 3Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityQuestionBuilder AppRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 4Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Stacey and colleagues, 2024Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisionsRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 5wai, 2026wai Profiles, a personal health record for every patientRead 14 October 2026Read source
Leave every appointment with a plan you chose together.
Set up your wai Profile, open now, and bring your whole record and your questions to every appointment.
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