What to send your new OT before the first appointment

What to tell your new OT

Use the parts relevant to this appointment. Describe what you know in everyday language; you do not need to write a clinical history or turn every concern into a formal goal.

What you would like help with

Say what you want to do, what matters to you and why you booked. This might be getting dressed comfortably, managing the school morning, preparing meals or reviewing a wheelchair. Include the priorities that matter, even if you are still working out which to address first.

How daily life is going now

Give relevant examples of what you can do, where you need help, what is working and what has changed. If needs vary, describe the pattern rather than only the easiest or hardest day. Relevant diagnoses, health changes and support arrangements may help explain the picture; point to fuller information in existing records.

What helps you take part

Explain your preferred way to communicate, cultural or language needs, and anything that helps you feel comfortable. You might need a communication device, interpreter, extra time, breaks or a quieter space. Say whom you would like present and whether you want part of the conversation in private. Ask the practice to confirm the arrangements rather than assuming they are booked.

What needs attention before the visit

Flag access or safety concerns that could affect the appointment, such as difficult entry to your home, recent falls or equipment that is not working properly. Identify relevant current professional instructions by author and date. Describe observations without creating a new handling or treatment plan yourself; ask what needs discussing before the visit.

Who is involved and what is underway

Give the preferred contact for arrangements and their role. Mention relevant referrals, equipment trials or assessments already underway so the OT can check for overlap. If a supporter contributes observations, distinguish those from the participant's own account. For a child's appointment, include the child's interests, preferences and ways of communicating as well as the adults' concerns.

An example of useful everyday detail

This fictional example shows how a daily activity can explain both a difficulty and what the person wants to work towards:

“I'd like help with making lunch. I can choose what I want and get the ingredients out, but standing at the bench leaves me too tired to finish. My support worker currently does most of the preparation. I'd like to do more of it myself. Mornings are usually easier for me, and I'd like my worker to join us so we can explain what we have tried.”

That gives the OT a priority, existing strengths, the difficulty and an appointment preference. You can explain the rest together.

Choose reports that explain this appointment

Ask which existing reports, assessments and current health or care information would help. Use the appointment's purpose, current support needs and relevant safety information to decide what to include. An older record can still matter if it explains a change or contains information not available elsewhere.

Identify each file's title, author and date, and explain why it is included. Point to useful pages in a long report while keeping the complete document available. Tell the OT what has changed since it was written. If something appears wrong, flag it for discussion with the author rather than altering the original clinical report.

Match the records to the visit

These are examples to discuss with the practice, not a required document list or a reason to commission new reports.

When there is a lot to share

Lead with the reason for this visit, then make the relevant background easy to find. There is no fixed page or attachment limit. Include requested information and material relevant to safe care; ask the practice to help prioritise rather than leaving something out on a guess.

If there are many potentially relevant records, send a list of titles and dates and ask which they need first. Avoid sending duplicates or an entire message history when a current record and explanation would do the job. Keep necessary detail available if the OT asks for it.

If a previous experience affects trust, safety or how you want sessions to run, explain what the OT needs to understand. You can ask to discuss it privately instead of including it in an email copied to others.

Use the practice's intake process for the personal, referral and payment details it needs. Check the intended recipient before sending sensitive identifiers or financial information; a general team email is not the place for everyone's private details.

Send it and confirm what needs attention

Use the practice's requested timeframe. If none is given, ask when the OT needs the information and what can reasonably be reviewed before the visit. Raise interpreter, access and handover arrangements when booking or as soon as you know they are needed. There is no lead time that fits every appointment.

You can send the information yourself or ask a chosen supporter or support coordinator to help, with the appropriate agreement or authority. Agree who will send it and who will handle questions. The practice or previous clinician may be better placed to obtain professional records directly; a family member does not have to collect and follow up everything.

Sending an email does not confirm the booking, that the OT has reviewed its contents, or that requested adjustments are arranged. Use the practice's usual contact route to confirm anything that must be settled before the visit. For a current urgent health or safety concern, use the relevant clinical or emergency route instead of waiting for an intake email reply.

If information is missing or you do not hear back

You do not have the previous report

Tell the new practice what is missing, who may hold it and what is being requested. Ask whether they can obtain it with the appropriate consent or speak with the previous clinician. If that clinician is unavailable, ask which existing records or other information could help and whether the appointment can proceed safely and usefully.

The practice has not replied

Check the contact details and ask reception whether the information reached the right person and what still needs attention. A receipt confirmation is different from clinical review. If something affects the appointment, ask how to have it addressed before attending; do not assume silence means it has been resolved.

There is little time or the intake form is difficult

Share the reason for the appointment, preparation needs and available relevant information, and explain what you cannot complete yet. Ask for an accessible format, help completing the form or a phone conversation. Confirm whether anything missing changes the appointment rather than cancelling or assuming it cannot go ahead.

You are not sure what you want from OT

Describe an activity that matters to you, a difficulty or a change you have noticed. Tell the practice you want help working out the next step. The OT can discuss whether their role and the proposed appointment are suitable; you do not need a polished therapy goal first.

Before you finish, agree what happens next

Ask for the next steps in a format you can use. Confirm the details that matter to your situation, including:

• What you have agreed to work on and what still needs assessment or clarification.
• Any further records or professional handover, the person who has accepted each action, and the next check if something is delayed.
• Whether a report or other work has been agreed, its scope, cost and expected timing. Requesting a report does not mean it is already commissioned.
• Who will receive recommendations, how any questions or factual corrections will be handled, and the next appointment or contact.

Keep the preparation and agreed next steps together

Keep a dated copy of what you sent and note any important changes. Record outstanding questions, who has agreed to answer them and when to check again. A private list or the practice's agreed process can work; you do not need a Kinovo account to use this guide or copy the email.

If several people are involved, Kinovo can keep agreed priorities, current shared files and follow-up tasks together. A Team leader can invite the OT and other contributors with agreed access so they can provide their own relevant updates. Check document visibility before adding personal information. The Team leader's access controls do not replace the participant's decisions or a representative's authority.

Kinovo helps coordinate the preparation. The practice still confirms its booking, service agreement and clinical arrangements, and the OT remains responsible for assessment, clinical records and professional handover.