Prepare a question list for your next kidney appointment

Start with the question you want to remember when you sit down. You do not need a polished medical summary to prepare for a kidney appointment. A page with your questions and room to write is a useful place to begin.

This guide is about preparing that page. It does not tell you which tests, treatments or dietary changes you need.

Give each question its own line

Gather the notes you have already made, whether they are on paper or your phone. Rewrite each topic as something you can ask aloud. For example, turn “letter” into “Could we go through the letter I received so I know what I need to do next?”

Keep the original note nearby if rewriting it feels difficult. You can point to the part you want explained. Leave a blank space below each question for the answer instead of filling the whole page.

The National Institute on Aging recommends preparing a list and putting your most important concerns first. You can use that approach for your own questions without trying to decide their medical importance. Read NIA's appointment preparation guidance.

Give the page a simple shape

Try three small sections:

• Start here: the question you most want to raise.
• Also ask: the other questions you have collected.
• Before leaving: practical details you want to confirm.

These are page labels, not a limit on what you may discuss. If a question has several parts, put the extra parts underneath it. For a question about a document, add its title or date so you can find the right page during the conversation.

Here is an example about appointment paperwork, using invented wording rather than a real person's record:

Start here: My appointment letter names two locations. Which location should I attend?

Answer or clarification: ______

Anything still to check: ______

Use the worksheet if you want a starting point

Open the appointment question checklist. Put your first question in My most important question, then add the rest under My other questions. The worksheet also has space for something that changed, something you did not understand, and details to confirm before leaving. Fill only the fields that are useful to you.

If you need to locate a letter or report, the separate records and care-team organizer can hold a note of where it is stored. It does not upload the document.

Website worksheet entries stay in the current page's memory. They are lost if you reload, close the tab or navigate away. Use Print this worksheet before leaving the page, or print an empty worksheet and write by hand. Check the browser's print preview to make sure your text is included. There is no saved website account or transfer of worksheet entries to the app.

Keep a place for questions that are still open

Beside each question, use a word such as “answered” or “still open.” If you run out of space, add another page and give it the same question heading. Do not mark a question finished just because it was mentioned.

For anything that remains unclear, ask for an explanation you can write down. NHS guidance encourages asking again, checking your understanding and confirming the next step before leaving. Read the NHS appointment checklist.

You can reserve the bottom of your page for three prompts:

• The next practical task I understood was: ______
• The person or office handling it is: ______
• The timing and contact process I was given are: ______

Fill those spaces with what was actually agreed. If a detail was not settled, write “to confirm.” Keep the unfinished question with your notes so you can use the contact process your care team gave you. Your question page is a record of the conversation, not a new set of care instructions.