What to change
Provide a route for obtaining the correct instructions for the booked appointment. Keep practical help distinct from clinical advice and avoid guessing what preparation applies.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A practice preparation page says patients who cannot locate their instructions should contact the appointment team. Reception checks the booking and provides the correct material through the approved process.
Put it into practice
Ask the booking team how it identifies the appointment and sends the relevant information again. A useful page names that route and the basic reference to have ready, giving the person a manageable next step instead of a long list of possible requirements.
Give the route for asking about the relevant appointment without publishing a guessed substitute instruction. The right response to missing information is to reconnect the patient with the approved source.
What to agree before publishing
Keep this page focused on finding the correct instruction rather than offering generic substitutes. Ask the appointment team how it identifies the visit and supplies the relevant information again. A patient may have deleted an email, received the wrong link or be unsure which appointment name applies. Give a clear contact route and the useful reference to have ready. The responsible service team should settle any uncertainty about preparation; a website writer should not fill that gap with plausible-sounding advice.
How to check the result
The visitor knows how to recover the missing information without using a generic checklist as a substitute.
A mistake to avoid
Do not publish universal preparation advice across services when the responsible practitioners require different instructions.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
Need help with this?
Tell us what is getting in the way. Kay & Co. can help you understand the options and turn the next step into something that works for your practice.
Explore websites & patient experience services or discuss your project.
Try the free Healthcare Digital Planner to find your starting priority.