How the referral process generally works
Your primary doctor sends a referral with a reason and relevant notes, but specialists often see only a fraction of your full history — and rarely anything from before their own system. The gap between what your GP knows and what the specialist receives is exactly what you need to fill yourself.
What to bring to the first specialist visit
- Your complete current medication list
- Relevant recent lab results or imaging, not just what was explicitly requested
- A brief written history of the issue — when it started, what’s been tried
- Questions you want answered, written down beforehand
Questions worth asking a new specialist
- What do you think is going on, in plain terms?
- What tests or next steps do you recommend, and why?
- What should I watch for between now and the next visit?
- Will you be sharing notes back with my primary doctor?
Arriving prepared, not starting from zero
Export your MedKeep PDF summary before the appointment — medications, relevant vitals and recent visit history in one document. A specialist working from that instead of your verbal recollection gets to the actual problem faster, and the first visit accomplishes more.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to my first specialist appointment?
Your complete medication list, relevant recent lab results or imaging, a brief written history of the issue, and questions you’ve prepared in advance.
Does a specialist automatically get my full medical history?
Usually not. They typically receive the referral reason and whatever your primary doctor included — bringing your own summary fills the rest of the gap.
How do I prepare an accurate history for a new specialist?
Export your PDF summary from MedKeep — medications, vitals and recent visits — so the specialist is working from accurate, current information rather than your memory of it.
Try it with MedKeep — free
Your whole family's medications, vitals, visits and documents. Encrypted on your device, works offline.