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About this tool
Turn a messy list of worries into a SOCRATES symptom summary and a prioritised question list that actually fits the appointment.
A ten-minute appointment is the standard slot in most primary care systems, and most of it goes on the clinician's own history taking and typing — which leaves room for roughly three or four questions. This builder answers the SOCRATES symptom history (Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associations, Time course, Exacerbating and relieving factors, Severity) in advance, ranks your questions by must-ask, should-ask and nice-to-know, and cuts the list to what actually fits the slot. It closes with the Ask Me 3 questions every patient should be able to answer on the way out.
Open Doctor Visit Question Builder on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Fill in 'Reason for the visit, in one line', the 'Slot length (minutes)' — 10 by default — and the Appointment date, then answer the eight SOCRATES fields from S — Site through to S — Severity (0–10).
List your questions and set each one to 'Must ask today', 'Should ask if there is time' or 'Nice to know'; tap a chip under 'Commonly forgotten — tap to add' to add one, and tick anything in the urgent-symptom list.
Read 'Questions that fit this slot', the numbered 'Ask these, in this order' list, the questions held for next time and the three closing Ask Me 3 questions, then press 'Copy brief' or take the Printable brief.
SOCRATES is the standard history mnemonic, so your summary answers the questions in the order they will be asked.
The list is cut to the number of questions that fit, and the overflow is labelled for a follow-up rather than quietly dropped.
Every brief ends with the three questions the patient-safety programme says you should leave able to answer.
Three to four for a standard ten-minute slot. The clinician needs most of the time for history, examination, notes and prescribing, so this tool budgets about 40% of the slot for your questions at roughly a minute each. If you genuinely have more must-ask items, request a double appointment when you book.
It is the mnemonic clinicians use to characterise a symptom: Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associations, Time course, Exacerbating and relieving factors, and Severity on a 0 to 10 scale. Answering all eight before you arrive is the fastest way to save appointment time, because otherwise the clinician has to elicit them one at a time.
What is my main problem? What do I need to do about it? Why is it important that I do this? They come from a patient-safety programme designed to close the gap between what a clinician says and what a patient takes away, and they work as a checklist at the end of any consultation.
Chest pain or pressure, sudden facial drooping, one-sided weakness or slurred speech (the FAST stroke signs), difficulty breathing, a thunderclap headache that peaked within seconds, sudden loss of vision, coughing or vomiting blood, black tarry stool, new confusion or a seizure, and a high fever with a rash that does not fade under pressure. These are prompts to seek urgent care immediately rather than a diagnosis — call your local emergency number or attend an emergency department.