healthcare
Medical Visit Planning
A structured plan for attending medical appointments without increasing risk.
healthcare safety
HEALTHCARE
Medical Visit Planning
1. Timing
Options for choosing when to schedule the visit.
- Consider days and times when:
- It is easiest to leave home or work without questions
- You can arrange childcare or other responsibilities
- Public transport or driving routes are simple for you
- You are less likely to be accompanied by someone else if you prefer to attend alone
- Think about how much time you may need:
- Extra time before the appointment to travel and check in
- Extra time after the appointment in case the visit runs long
- Time to return home or work without rushing
- Decide how the appointment will appear on your calendar or phone:
- Whether to label it in a general way (for example, “errand” or “meeting”)
- Whether reminders or notifications are safe to appear on shared devices
- Plan how you will explain your absence if needed:
- Simple explanations that match the length of time you will be away
- Whether anyone will need advance notice that you will be out
2. Clinic Selection
Options to consider when deciding where to go for care.
- Location considerations:
- Distance from home or work
- Whether the location is somewhere you can explain visiting (for example, near shops or work)
- Transport options: bus stops, train stations, parking, or rides
- Type of clinic:
- Primary care, urgent care, reproductive health, or specialist
- Whether walk-in is possible or an appointment is required
- Contact options:
- Whether you can book online, by phone, or by text/portal
- What phone number or email will appear on call logs or inboxes
- Information to ask when you first contact the clinic:
- How they handle privacy and confidentiality
- Whether you can speak to the clinician alone, without any accompanying person
- Whether they use patient portals, and how notifications are sent
- Payment considerations:
- How the visit will be billed (insurance, self-pay, sliding scale)
- How statements, receipts, or insurance explanations of benefits are sent
3. What to Say at Reception
Options for handling check-in and early questions.
- Information you may be asked:
- Photo ID and insurance card
- Current address and phone number
- Emergency contact information
- Reason for your visit, in a short description
- Neutral phrases you can use for the visit reason if you prefer not to share details at the front desk:
- “I’d like to talk privately with the doctor about my health.”
- “It’s for a general check-up and some concerns.”
- “It’s a personal health issue I’d rather discuss in the exam room.”
- If someone is with you and you want private time with the clinician, options include:
- “I need to speak with the doctor alone for part of the visit.”
- “Can you note in my chart that I’d like a few minutes by myself with the clinician?”
- Letting reception know quietly when the other person steps away, if possible.
- Questions you may choose to ask reception:
- “How is my information shared with others on my insurance?”
- “Can my phone number and contact preferences be updated today?”
- “Is there a way to keep parts of my information more private?”
4. Privacy Considerations
Items to review before, during, and after the visit.
- Devices and communications:
- Whether your phone, email, or patient portal is shared or monitored
- How appointment reminders are sent (text, email, phone call, portal)
- Whether voicemail messages are safe to receive, and on which number
- Insurance and billing:
- Who can see insurance statements or explanations of benefits
- Where paper mail about the visit is sent
- Whether electronic statements go to a shared email address
- At the clinic:
- Asking if you can speak with the clinician alone at some point
- Asking how notes from this visit are recorded and who can see them
- Letting the clinician know what is safe or unsafe to put in visit summaries that might be shared
- After the visit:
- Where you will store any printed visit summaries or prescriptions
- Whether you want to delete, hide, or rename calendar entries related to the visit
- Reviewing call logs, text messages, emails, or portal notifications related to the appointment
Some clinics and community programs share practical information on privacy and safety planning. Additional tools and professional supports can also be found through resources listed at DV.Support.