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Bring a current medication list, insurance card, photo ID, the names of clinicians who know your history, and written questions when you are exploring care, research, or both. This basic checklist helps the right team understand what information is already available and what may need follow-up. You do not need to assemble a complete chart on your own first.
Before you leave home, confirm the kind of conversation or visit you are attending: a clinic appointment, a research visit, or an onboarding conversation. Ask whether that visit requires anything beyond the basic checklist. Clinic registration and research consent are separate processes, so knowing the visit type helps you prepare the right questions.
Put your questions in a note on your phone or on paper. For a clinic appointment, ask what happens during the visit and which records the clinician needs. For research, ask what the public study process involves and who can explain it. For onboarding, ask what remains for registration, coverage information, referrals, or records.
Do not bring original, irreplaceable documents unless the team specifically requests them. If a full chart or other records are needed, ask onboarding how your current office should use Mood Institute's secure records channel. Complete only the consultation fields the practice requests, and keep records and health details out of Mood Guide and general contact fields.
Bring what you have and tell staff what is missing. Onboarding can identify items that need follow-up and whether your current office should send additional records; licensed clinicians handle care decisions, and the research team handles study processes. Before leaving, ask: 'What should I bring next time, who is following up, and what is my next step?'
If someone else is helping you prepare, make a short list of what that person knows and what they are bringing. For example, they may have the name of a prior clinician, a copy of a referral, or questions you want remembered. Keep the list practical and bring only what the team has asked for. If you are unsure whether a document is useful, ask onboarding before carrying it in.