Use this guide to organize questions for a consultation. It does not recommend a treatment or provide personal medical advice.
Start with preferences, not a procedure name
A consultation note does not have to start with a procedure name. Start with three headings: what you want to discuss changing, what you would like to keep, and what you have not decided. Then choose the one question you most want answered. This worksheet organizes a conversation; it does not choose a treatment or predict a result. If you are preparing for a skin-treatment consultation in Lancaster, use your own words. “I notice this in close-up photographs” is a starting point. You do not need to turn that observation into a diagnosis or arrive with a product selected.
Give each thought the right label
Under Change, describe one appearance question. State what you notice and when you notice it. Keep the observation separate from the explanation you hope to receive. “I want to ask about uneven-looking texture” leaves room for a discussion; “I need this particular treatment” already assumes an answer. Under Keep, write what matters to you about your current appearance. That might be a feature you like or a preference for a small change rather than a different overall look. A preference belongs in the note even if you are unsure how to describe it. Under Unsure, keep the questions you cannot answer yet. You might not know whether you want any treatment, how to describe the change, or whether your priorities fit together. A blank is not an agreement. Write “undecided” where that is the honest answer.
Copy the worksheet
Use one row for each concern rather than combining several into a broad goal. Keep personal notes with you. This is a copyable worksheet, not a form asking you to send health details, photographs or private records through this article.
| Item | Your note |
|---|---|
| What I notice | Describe the appearance question in everyday language. |
| When I notice it | Record the context, such as a close-up photograph. |
| What I want to discuss changing | Name one preference without selecting a procedure. |
| What I want to keep | Identify a feature or aspect of your appearance that matters to you. |
| What I have not decided | Keep unknowns visible, including whether to proceed at all. |
| My first question | Choose the point you want clarified first. |
| What I heard during the discussion | Record the explanation separately from your original preference. |
| What still needs an answer | Leave room for the next question. |
Turn a broad wish into a specific question
Here is a fictional example, not a patient story or a treatment result:
- Broad wish: “I want better-looking skin.”
- Observation: “I notice the appearance of my cheeks in close-up photos.”
- Change: “I want to discuss the texture I see.”
- Keep: “I like my freckles and want that preference understood.”
- Unsure: “I have not decided whether I want treatment.”
- First question: “Which parts of my description need to be clearer before we discuss any options?”
Keep the example separate from an answer
The second version tells the person listening what the reader means. It does not establish what is possible, appropriate or advisable. Those questions remain for the consultation.
Choose an order, not a score
If the note contains several goals, number the questions in the order you want to discuss them. The number is a conversation priority, not a rating of your appearance or a medical need. If two preferences seem difficult to express together, keep both and ask about the tension rather than deleting one to make the note look settled. “I want to discuss a change, but I am unsure how much change I want” is a complete entry. You can use the conversation to clarify that uncertainty without presenting a decision you have not made.
Keep the preference and the explanation separate
At the end of the discussion, leave your original preference in one place and the explanation you received in another. If the summary does not match what you meant, ask a follow-up question. Do not turn an unanswered question into a promise or a decision. AHRQ’s patient communication guidance encourages writing questions before an appointment and asking for clarification when an explanation is unclear. The worksheet above is an original organizational format, not an AHRQ-endorsed or clinically validated tool. Source: AHRQ patient question guidance.
Use the appropriate existing planning page
For information about one of KMHCS’s listed skin services, see its chemical peel consultation page. That link is a service reference, not a recommendation to choose it. The existing consultation preparation checklist covers the broader visit checklist; this worksheet focuses on recording preferences and unresolved questions.
Chemical peel consultation information → · Broader consultation preparation checklist →
Sources and Further Reading
- AHRQ: Be More Engaged in Your Healthcare (opens in new tab): Question-writing and clarification guidance only. The worksheet is an original organizational format, not an endorsed or clinically validated tool.