The average specialist appointment is 20–30 minutes. If the first 10 minutes are spent re-explaining your history, ordering tests the GP already ran, or waiting for records to arrive, the consultation loses a significant part of its value. Preparation changes this.
What to bring or share
- A complete medication list with doses and frequencies — include supplements and over-the-counter medicines
- Relevant blood test results from the past 12 months — or longer if the condition is chronic
- Imaging reports and, where possible, digital images (not just reports) — specialists often want to see the scans themselves
- Previous specialist letters related to this condition
- A written summary of your symptoms — when they started, how they've changed, what makes them better or worse
- A list of your specific questions — ranked by importance in case time is limited
Using Looms to prepare
Looms lets you filter your records by type and date range so you can quickly identify what's relevant for a specific appointment. The Appointment Prep tool generates an AI-assisted summary of your relevant records that you can share directly with the centre or print and bring.
If you're seeing a centre connected to Looms, you can grant them access to your records directly — they'll see the same documents in the same platform, avoiding delays waiting for faxes or paper copies.