Preparing a Useful Data Summary for a Clinician

Urgent first

If you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, signs of stroke or thoughts of harming yourself, do not prepare a summary. In the US call 911 (or your local emergency number), or call or text 988 for crisis support. [1] See Symptoms That Need Assessment, Not Tracking.

Why a summary helps

MedlinePlus says being prepared helps you make the most of a visit, and lists making a list of concerns and writing down symptoms among the steps. [2] Studies of clinicians report concern about the accuracy and reliability of patient-generated data and difficulty fitting it into clinical workflow. [3][4] A short, organized page is easier to use than a pile of charts. This page helps you organize information. It does not tell you what any number means.

A one-page structure

1. Your main question or worry, in a sentence. For example: "I have had a racing feeling in my chest, and my watch showed alerts."
2. Symptoms. MedlinePlus suggests describing each one, including when it started, what makes it better and what makes it worse. [2]
3. Medicines, herbs, vitamins and supplements. MedlinePlus advises listing allergies and everything you take. [2] Include anything you take for sleep, focus or energy.
4. Other habits that may matter. Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sleep, training and stress are listed by the NHS among common causes of palpitations. [5] Note recent changes in a plain sentence, without interpreting them.
5. Device notes. Name the device and model, how long you have used it, what feature you used, and what it showed on the dates that matter. Say whether each item was measured, estimated or a score. See Algorithm-Derived Scores Explained.
6. What you did in response. For example, whether you repeated a measurement, saw another professional or changed anything.
7. Your questions for the clinician. MedlinePlus suggests asking questions until you understand and asking for written instructions if you need them. [2]

Keep it neutral

• Record what you saw and when, not what you think it means.
• Include readings that look normal as well as those that worried you, so the clinician sees the whole picture. A fuller record also helps avoid reading too much into one night or one reading. See Sleep Trends vs Individual Nights and Sleep Diaries vs Devices.
• Do not diagnose yourself in the summary. See Avoiding Self-Diagnosis From Device Readings.
• Do not bring changes to a prescribed medicine as a decision already made. Ask first. See Talking With a Health Professional.

Practical extras

MedlinePlus also suggests bringing a trusted friend or family member, taking notes, and asking for an interpreter in advance if you need one. [2]

Privacy before you share

Sharing exports can reveal more than you intend, such as location or other app data. Before sending files to anyone, see Health Data vs Consumer-App Data and Account Deletion and Exporting Your Data.

What this page does not do

It does not give reference ranges, tell you which readings are worrying, or recommend any device. Evidence label for the idea that bringing a data summary improves outcomes: insufficient evidence. The studies we read describe attitudes and feasibility only. [3][6]