What frequently asked questions should a clinic's website have?

A well-made FAQ page does two things: it helps whoever is deciding and frees reception from repeating the same answers. In a clinic, it also serves another purpose: showing care and clarity before the first appointment.

The questions, by theme

• Before the first appointment: do I need to book in advance? Do I need any documents? How does the first appointment work? Can I bring someone with me?
• During the appointment: how long does it last? Who sees me? What should I bring or prepare?
• Prices and payment: how do I pay? What forms of payment are there? Does the clinic have agreements with insurers or other bodies?
• Booking and changing: how do I book? How do I postpone or cancel, and with how much notice?
• After the appointment: how do I receive documents? How do I book a follow-up?
• Privacy: what data do you ask for? How is it handled and who sees it?
• Access: where is it? Is there parking? Is access suitable for people with reduced mobility?
• Emergencies: what do I do in an urgent situation?

How to write the answers

1. The direct answer in the first sentence. "Yes, the first appointment is by prior booking." The details come after.
2. Plain language. Write as you would talk to the person in front of you.
3. Short sentences without jargon. If you use a technical term, explain it.
4. One question, one answer. Do not put three doubts in one block.
5. Useful links: to booking, to the service page, to the privacy policy.
6. Update date. It shows the information has been reviewed.

What not to do

• Give general clinical advice. An FAQ page is not a diagnosis. "If you feel X, do Y" is for the professional, at the appointment.
• Promise results. Every person is different.
• Write vaguely about prices or forms of payment. If you do not publish fees, say how to get the information.
• Leave the page abandoned. Out-of-date information is worse than no page.

The route for emergencies should be written clearly: the page is not for urgent situations, and the person should know who to turn to. This article is not a substitute for the rules of the professional body or for legal advice.

How to find the right questions

Ask reception which doubts they hear most, and note for two weeks the questions that arrive by phone, email and message. That list is more reliable than any template. If the same question keeps arriving after you answer it on the website, the answer is in the wrong place or written unclearly. To see how a service page answers the same doubts, read what each service page should include, and for booking, what information to ask for in online booking. On the services for clinics page we explain how we organise all this.

Ten minutes with reception

Sit for ten minutes with whoever answers the phone and ask them to say, from memory, the ten most frequent questions. Write them as they were said, in the patient's words. For each one, write the answer in two sentences. There you have the draft of the page. Compare it with what the website says today: the questions that are not answered are the first to write. Keep the list in a shared place, so whoever answers can add a new question whenever one appears.

In short

• The questions by theme: before, during, prices, booking, after, privacy, access and emergencies.
• Each answer starts with the direct answer and uses plain language.
• No general clinical advice and no promises of results.
• The right questions come from whoever answers, not from a template.

Quick questions

How many questions should the page have?

The ones patients actually ask. To start, ten to fifteen well answered are worth more than forty vague ones.

Should I answer questions about symptoms?

No. An FAQ page should not give clinical advice. Say that such doubts are for the professional, at the appointment.

How often should I update it?

Whenever something changes that affects the answers, and at least once a year. Show the date of the last review.