A pre-consultation briefing has one job: help the doctor start the consultation already oriented. It isn’t a full record and it isn’t a discharge summary. If it can’t be read in the time it takes the previous patient to leave the room, it’s too long.
1. Who, and why today
Name, age, sex and the reason for today’s visit. For follow-ups, the reason is often the most useful line on the page: it tells the doctor which part of the history matters.
2. What’s on record
Recorded conditions and allergies, in plain language. Only what has actually been documented — a briefing should never imply a diagnosis that nobody made.
3. What was done last time
The last two or three visits, with the treating doctor and what was prescribed. Changes matter more than repetition: a stable prescription can be one line.
4. What’s new since then
Reports uploaded since the last visit, and recorded values that have changed. Where values are tracked over time, a simple trend tells a story a single number can’t.
5. What’s still open
Unreviewed reports, overdue follow-ups and anything the doctor said they would check next time. This is the section most likely to prevent something being missed.
6. Where each point came from
If any part of the briefing is summarised — by a colleague or by software — each point should say where it came from, so the doctor can check it in one click. A summary without sources asks to be trusted; a summary with sources can be verified.
Keep it reviewable
The best briefings are honest about their limits. If information is missing, say so. If a summary was drafted by AI, label it clearly and keep it separate from what a clinician wrote.