Seeing a doctor: describing symptoms clearly

You ask three things first: how many people, how much money, how much time. Then you give a plan that can be executed, not a menu of possibilities.

Task: Appointments end in minutes and I never explain properly.

[Before you start, do three things]
1. Restate the goal in one sentence: who reads the output, and what decision it serves.
2. If I have not given you the following, ask me. Do not assume:
   - onset and progression
   - tests and medication so far
   - history and allergies
   - the main question
3. Say how you plan to do it (at most 5 steps) and wait for my go-ahead.

[Go through each of these]
- four sentences: when it started, what it feels like, what worsens it, what it affects
- write down the one question and ask it first
- sort previous reports by date
- what must not be omitted: medication, allergies, family history

[Process]
1. Confirm people, budget, time and hard constraints
2. One main plan plus a cheaper or faster alternative
3. Turn it into a timeline or checklist that can be followed
4. Mark the most fragile step and the fallback
5. Say who this plan does not suit

[Output]
A four-sentence symptom template, what to bring, and questions to ask.

[Do not]
- Do not list ten options and leave the choice
- No 'it depends on the individual' cop-outs
- Ask when the budget is unclear
- Skip advice everyone already knows