Short answer: Before the visit, list every medicine you take with its dose, note what has changed since your last visit and any symptoms, and write down the three questions you most want answered. Then gather the records this doctor does not already have. These steps follow guidance from AHRQ and the National Institute on Aging. Our free one-page visit prep sheet puts them on a single page you can fill in from MyChart or PatientPower.
Two federal agencies give overlapping advice. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) says to bring all the medicines you take to your appointment, including prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines such as aspirin or antacids, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements. It also says to write down the questions you have for the visit and to know your current medical conditions, past surgeries and illnesses.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, says some doctors suggest you bring all your medicines in a bag, while others recommend a list of everything you take and the dose. NIA also says to take your insurance cards, the names and phone numbers of other doctors you see, and your medical records if the doctor does not already have them.
The free visit prep sheet on this page turns that advice into five boxes on one page. It is general guidance for organizing your own information. It is not medical advice, and it does not replace anything your doctor's office asks you to bring or complete.
One-page visit prep sheet (PDF)
Current medicines, changes since your last visit, a symptom log, your top 3 questions and records to bring, on one printable page. Free. Fill it in on screen or by hand; the file has no submit button, so nothing you write on it is sent anywhere.
Download the visit prep sheet (PDF)
Based on AHRQ: Be More Engaged in Your Healthcare and the NIH National Institute on Aging's How To Prepare for a Doctor's Appointment and What Do I Need to Tell the Doctor? General guidance, not medical advice.
The sheet is a single printable page with five sections: current medicines, changes since your last visit, a symptom log, your top 3 questions, and records to bring. Download it from the box at the top of this section. Print it, fill it in by hand or on screen, and take it with you. It asks for no information beyond what you choose to write on it, and nothing on it is sent anywhere.
Each box is based on AHRQ and NIA guidance, and the source for each one is printed in small type at the foot of the sheet. You are welcome to copy it and share it with family members or caregivers. If you would rather keep your questions on your phone, AHRQ's QuestionBuilder app, available at no cost, helps patients and caregivers prepare for medical appointments, and AHRQ says all input stays on your own device.
| Box on the sheet | What to write | Where the advice comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Current medicines | Every prescription, over-the-counter medicine, vitamin and supplement, with the dose and how often you take it. NIA adds: don't forget eye drops, vitamins and laxatives, and note your pharmacy's phone number | AHRQ: bring all the medicines you take. NIA: bring a list of everything you take and the dose |
| 2. Changes since my last visit | Emergency room visits, specialist care, changes in your medicines, and changes you have noticed in appetite, weight, sleep or energy | NIA: let your doctor know what has happened since your last visit |
| 3. Symptom log | For each symptom: when it started, when it happens, how long it lasts, how often, whether it is getting better or worse, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects daily activities | NIA: make some notes about your symptoms before you call or visit the doctor |
| 4. My top 3 questions | The three things you most want to ask, most important first, so they come up early in the visit | AHRQ: list the top three questions you want to be sure to ask. NIA: ask about the most important ones first |
| 5. Records to bring | Insurance cards, names and phone numbers of your other doctors, and any records or results this doctor does not have yet | NIA: take your insurance cards, other doctors' details, and your medical records if the doctor doesn't already have them |
If your health system uses Epic MyChart, much of the sheet can be copied from what your provider has already recorded. Features differ between health systems, so you may not see every item below.
For box 1, open your medication list. Epic's MyChart site says you can review your medication list and instructions for taking each medication, and report medications you are no longer taking. Copy each medicine and its dose, then add the over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements you buy yourself, because a provider's list may not include them.
For box 2, check your past visits and documents. MyChart lets you view details of past appointments or hospital stays and documents on file such as After Visit Summaries. A visit summary from a specialist or an urgent care trip is a quick way to remember what changed.
For box 5, MyChart lets you view, download or send a copy of specific visit summaries or your entire health record. If the doctor you are seeing is at a different organization, ask their office whether they can already see your records, for example through Care Everywhere, before you print anything. Some health systems also offer eCheck-In in MyChart, where you can verify your medical and insurance information and respond to questionnaires before you arrive.
PatientPower (beyondmychart.com) is an independent personal health record app. Its Epic MyChart connection is live: it was approved for use on 16 September 2026, and patients can connect their MyChart accounts today. That approval does not mean Epic endorses PatientPower. Connected records can include conditions, medications, lab results, vital signs, immunizations and visits, as each health system makes them available.
For box 1, the Medications and supplements list holds each prescription and over-the-counter supplement with dose, frequency, prescriber and reason. You can also add a medicine by photographing its label. For box 2, the Timeline arranges appointments, prescriptions, labs, symptoms and vitals readings in date order, so you can scroll back to your last visit and see what has happened since.
For box 3, the Symptom journal records how you felt, when, and what triggered it. Copy the entries that matter for this visit onto the sheet. For box 4, the condition lookup explains a diagnosis and suggests questions to ask your doctor about it, and you can type or speak a question to the AI coach. Pick the questions that matter most to you. The coaches give general education, not a diagnosis, and AI-drafted content can be wrong, so check anything important with your care team.
For box 5, you may not need to print much. PatientPower can print a one-page Summary (active medicines, allergies, conditions, recent vitals, latest labs and upcoming appointments) or a two-page Visit Packet. For a doctor who is not on PatientPower, you can send a read-only link to a printable summary of the categories you choose, set how long it stays open, and revoke it whenever you like.
Bring the sheet and refer to it. AHRQ suggests explaining your symptoms, health history and any problems with medicines you have taken in the past, and asking questions to make sure you understand what your doctor is telling you. If you need a test, AHRQ suggests asking how it is done, how it will feel, what you need to do to get ready, and how you will get the results.
MedlinePlus suggests taking notes about what your doctor tells you, or asking a friend or family member to take notes for you. NIA adds that a companion can remind you what you planned to discuss and help you remember what the doctor said. After the visit, AHRQ says to call your doctor if you do not understand your instructions once you get home. If you use MyChart, the After Visit Summary is a good place to check what was agreed.
Afterwards, update your own list. Add any new medicine to box 1 of a fresh sheet, or to your PatientPower medication list, so the next visit starts from an accurate record.
Box 5 is hardest when your care is split between a health system on MyChart and practices that are not, such as a chiropractor, physical therapist or independent specialist. A personal health record app can bring those together: in PatientPower you can connect MyChart for each provider and type in other records, with an AI that can read a PDF or a photo of a document to help.
To compare MyChart's own Happy Together feature, Apple Health and PatientPower for this, see our guide to what to use alongside MyChart. You can use more than one.
This page and the prep sheet are general patient guidance for organizing information. They are not medical advice and do not tell you which medicines to take or stop, what a symptom means, or whether you need to be seen. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about those. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
PatientPower is not affiliated with or endorsed by Epic Systems Corporation, and it does not replace MyChart. Keep using MyChart to message your care team, schedule appointments and pay bills. Records you connect may be incomplete, delayed or contain errors, so check important details with your care team.
Related: What to use alongside MyChart · How to organize MyChart records from multiple providers · How to download your MyChart records.
Your medicines or a list of them with doses (including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements), your insurance cards, the names and phone numbers of your other doctors, any records the doctor does not already have, and a written list of your questions. This follows guidance from AHRQ and the National Institute on Aging.
AHRQ's brochure asks for the top three questions you want to be sure to ask. NIA suggests putting your list in order and asking about the most important items first, rather than leaving them to the end of the appointment.
NIA notes that your doctor will ask when a symptom started, what time of day it happens, how long it lasts, how often it occurs, whether it is getting better or worse, and whether it keeps you from your usual activities. Writing those down beforehand makes them easier to answer.
Often, yes. Epic's MyChart site says you can review your medication list, view past visits and After Visit Summaries, and view, download or send a copy of your health record. Some health systems also offer eCheck-In before you arrive. Available features vary by health system.
Yes. It is a free one-page PDF you can download from this page. You can print it, fill it in by hand or on screen, and share it with family or caregivers. The file has no submit button, so nothing you write on it is sent anywhere.
PatientPower does not diagnose or treat. Its coaches and condition explainers give general education, including questions you may want to ask your doctor, and AI-drafted content can be wrong. What a symptom means is a question for your doctor.