Your Integrative Care Checklist for Existing Patients
Updated: 2 days ago
Before your next appointment, you need one thing in your hand: a clear, complete record of every treatment, supplement, and provider involved in your care. This integrative care checklist for existing patients is designed to be copied, printed, or saved to your phone right now.
Your one-page checklist (bring this to every appointment):
Medications: Name, dose, frequency, route, and time of last dose
Supplements and herbs: Name, form (capsule, tincture, tea), dose, brand, and reason you take it
OTC products: Antacids, pain relievers, topical creams, and sleep aids
Providers list: Name, specialty, phone, and fax for every clinician and practitioner
Current treatments: Both conventional (medications, procedures) and holistic (acupuncture, massage, yoga, mindfulness)
Allergies and reactions: Drug, food, and environmental, with the reaction you experienced
Top 3 visit goals: Written out before you walk in the door
Red flags to report immediately: Chest pain, sudden severe headache, difficulty breathing, signs of allergic reaction, or infection at a treatment site
NCCIH recommends that patients tell every member of their care team about all integrative approaches they use, including supplements and holistic therapies.
Pro Tip: Screenshot this checklist and save it as your phone’s lock-screen note or share it with a trusted person who accompanies you to appointments.
The NCI patient workbook uses this same format, with sections for medicines, CAM use, provider contacts, and visit question prompts, making it a reliable model for any condition.
Key Takeaways
A complete, updated integrative care checklist is the most direct way to keep conventional and holistic treatments safe and coordinated across every provider you see.
Point | Details |
Disclose everything | List all medications, supplements, herbs, and OTCs with doses and timing at every visit. |
Carry two formats | Keep a wallet card for emergencies and a one-page digital summary for appointments. |
Use coordination scripts | Ask providers directly to share records; they do not do so automatically. |
Track outcomes | Log symptom changes on a 0–10 scale and bring the log to every follow-up. |
Use Spine App | Store and share your one-page care summary through Spine App for easy access anywhere. |
Table of Contents
What should you record on your integrative care checklist?
Every item on your list needs enough detail to be useful. A provider seeing “fish oil” with no dose or brand cannot assess a potential interaction. Here is what to record for each category.
Medications and supplements table:
Category | Fields to Record |
Prescription medications | Name, dose (mg), frequency, route (oral/topical), last dose time |
Supplements and herbs | Name, brand, form, dose, reason used, who recommended it |
OTC products | Name, dose, frequency, condition treated |
Topical/transdermal | Product name, active ingredient, area applied, frequency |
Additional records to carry:
Dates of recent procedures, surgeries, or imaging
Lab results from the past 6 months (printed or on your phone)
Allergy details: the substance, the reaction, and when it occurred
Advance directives or health care proxy information, if relevant
NCCIH notes that evidence and safety vary by approach, so recording which therapies you use and why helps providers give you accurate guidance. Keeping records is also one of the core recommendations in integrative care guidance from the University of Minnesota.
Pro Tip: Keep a wallet-sized card with your top 5 medications, allergies, and primary care contact. A folded index card works. Update it every time a prescription changes.
How to prepare for your visit the day before
Preparation the day before an appointment is where most patients lose time and miss important questions. A few focused steps change that.
Documents to bring:
Your one-page medication and supplement list (updated within the past 30 days)
Recent lab results and imaging reports
A list of all current providers with contact information
Insurance card and photo ID
Advance directives, if applicable
The night before, do this:
Write your top 3 questions or concerns in order of priority.
Note any medications you were told to hold before a procedure (ask your prescriber if you are unsure).
If you are having surgery or an invasive procedure, ask your provider which supplements to pause. Herbs like ginkgo, garlic, and fish oil can affect bleeding and anesthesia.
Confirm whether your holistic practitioner needs to pause a therapy before the procedure.
Bring a notebook or use your phone’s notes app to record what the provider says.
Pro Tip: Write your questions in order of importance. If the appointment runs short, you will have covered what matters most.
How to list and disclose all medications, herbs, and supplements
Full disclosure is the single most protective step you can take. NCCIH states clearly that dietary supplements can interact with prescription and nonprescription medications, and that patients should consult their providers before starting anything new.
Sample disclosure table:
What must be on this list:
Prescription drugs, including patches and injections
Vitamins and minerals (including high-dose single nutrients)
Herbal and botanical products, teas, and tinctures
Probiotics and enzyme supplements
Homeopathic remedies
Any product you apply to your skin if it contains active ingredients
Never stop a prescribed medication without talking to your prescriber first, even if a holistic practitioner suggests it. If you want to add a new supplement, ask your pharmacist or physician to check for interactions before you start.
Researching the evidence and asking about risks before starting any new approach is a consistent recommendation from NCCIH. Pairing that habit with guidance on holistic add-ons to conventional treatment can help you ask sharper questions at your next visit.
How to ask providers to share records and coordinate your care
Providers do not automatically share notes with each other. You have to ask, and asking clearly gets results. Here are three scripts you can copy and send today.
Script 1: Asking your primary clinician to share notes with a holistic practitioner
Script 2: Asking a holistic practitioner to send notes to your medical team
Script 3: Requesting an electronic record transfer
Steps to make coordination work:
Sign a release-of-information form at each practice that needs to share records.
Request, at minimum: current diagnosis, medication list, and recent lab results.
Ask each provider to document your integrative treatment plan in your chart.
Follow up in two weeks if you have not received confirmation that records were sent.
Pro Tip: Ask how to coordinate care across multiple providers at your next visit, and request a single shared care summary you can carry.
Safety rules and red flags: when to pause or escalate
Some situations require you to stop a therapy and contact your provider the same day. Others require emergency care.
Stop the therapy and call your provider if you notice:
New or worsening pain, swelling, or redness at a treatment site
Unusual fatigue, nausea, or dizziness that began after starting a new supplement or therapy
A rash, hives, or itching that appeared after a new product or session
Mood changes or sleep disruption that started with a new herbal product
Call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately for:
Chest pain or pressure
Sudden severe headache
Difficulty breathing
Signs of a severe allergic reaction (throat tightening, swelling of the face or tongue)
Signs of infection (fever, pus, red streaks from a wound)
NCCIH advises patients not to use unproven approaches to replace or delay conventional medical care. If a practitioner tells you to stop a prescribed treatment in favor of an alternative, that is a red flag worth discussing with your physician.
NCCIH’s guidance on chronic pain and complementary approaches reinforces that safety depends on the specific approach and the training of the practitioner. Checking a practitioner’s credentials before starting any hands-on or herbal therapy is a reasonable precaution.
How to track whether a therapy is actually helping
A simple log removes guesswork. Use this table to record what you notice after each treatment.
Rate your main symptom on a 0–10 scale before and after each session. Zero means no symptom; 10 means the worst it has been.
Decision rules:
If there is no change after the agreed trial period (ask your provider what that is), contact them and re-evaluate.
If a new symptom appears after starting a therapy, note it immediately and report it at your next visit or sooner if it is severe.
Bring your log to every follow-up. Providers can adjust the plan only when they can see what has changed.
Pro Tip: Use a notes app or a simple paper journal. Consistency matters more than the format.
Printable templates you can copy or save right now
Two formats cover most situations. Use the short card daily and the full page for appointments.
Wallet card (fold and carry):
Full name and date of birth
Top 3 medications with doses
Known allergies and reactions
Primary care provider name and phone number
Emergency contact name and phone number
One-page appointment template:
Medications and supplements table (name, dose, form, last taken, reason)
Providers list (name, specialty, phone, fax)
Top 3 visit goals for today
Recent labs or imaging (date and result summary)
Red flags to report (pre-filled from the safety section above)
Notes section for what the provider says
Copy both into a notes app, a Word document, or a Google Doc. Save the file as “My Care Summary [Month Year]” so you can find and update it easily. For perioperative use, add a column for which products your surgeon asked you to hold and the date you stopped them.
The NCI patient workbook follows this same structure and is worth downloading as a reference alongside your personal template.
Pro Tip: Store your one-page summary in Spine App so it is always with you and easy to share with a new provider.
A note on making this checklist a habit
There is a gap between having a checklist and actually using it. The patients who benefit most are the ones who treat it as a living document rather than a one-time task.
Update your checklist after any medication change, before a major appointment, and at least once per quarter for routine care. That cadence catches most changes before they become problems.
The wallet card and the digital copy serve different moments. The card is for emergencies and quick reference. The digital version, stored in Spine App or a secure notes app, is for sharing with new providers and reviewing before visits. Keeping both in sync takes about five minutes after each update.
This checklist is a coordination tool. It does not replace the judgment of your providers. What it does is give every provider on your team the same starting point, which is often what good care coordination actually requires.
Spine App keeps your checklist with you, wherever care takes you
Coordinating care across multiple providers is easier when your information lives in one place. Spine App lets you store your medication and supplement list, attach lab PDFs, and pull up a one-page summary the moment a new provider asks for your history.
You can use Spine App to find practitioners across conventional and holistic paths, set follow-up reminders, and keep your care summary updated between appointments. No more searching for a printed sheet or retyping your medication list at a new office. Your information stays with you, on iOS, Android, or the web.
Start with Spine App and keep your integrative care checklist where you can always find it.
Sources
Talk with your providers about anything you read here before making changes to your care plan.
This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified doctor. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.
FAQ
What goes on an integrative care checklist for existing patients?
Include all prescription medications, supplements, herbs, OTC products, current conventional and holistic treatments, provider contacts, allergies, and your top visit goals. The NCI patient workbook uses this same structure.
Do I need to tell my doctor about supplements and herbs?
Yes. NCCIH states that supplements can interact with prescription and nonprescription medications, so every provider on your team needs the full list.
How do I get my providers to share records with each other?
Ask directly and sign a release-of-information form at each practice. Use the sample scripts in this article to request that visit notes and medication lists are sent between your conventional and holistic providers.
When should I stop a holistic therapy and call my provider?
Stop and call the same day if you notice new pain, rash, unusual fatigue, or mood changes that began after starting a therapy. Go to the emergency room for chest pain, sudden severe headache, difficulty breathing, or signs of a severe allergic reaction.
How often should I update my integrative care checklist?
Update it after any medication or supplement change, before major appointments, and at least once per quarter for routine care.
Can Spine App help me manage my integrative care checklist?
Spine App lets you store your medication and supplement list, attach lab documents, and share a one-page care summary with providers, keeping your information accessible across conventional and holistic care paths.
Should I pause supplements before surgery?
Ask your surgeon and prescriber which products to hold and when. Herbs such as ginkgo, garlic, and fish oil can affect bleeding and anesthesia, so this conversation should happen at least one to two weeks before any procedure.
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About Spine App
Spine App is your life companion for body, mind and soul. The app connects people with providers, sessions, events and podcasts — conventional, holistic or both. Available in 175 countries and three languages. Founded by Sylvia Leifheit.
Written by the Spine App Editorial Team.
