Patient guides
How to prepare medical documents before a hospital visit in China.
An international medical visit usually moves more smoothly when information is organized before contacting the hospital. This guide explains what to gather, how to present it, and what should be confirmed by a doctor during the consultation.
Guides
Practical guides for medical visits in China
First
Start with a clinical timeline
Put the information in chronological order: when the concern began, which consultations or tests were done, which treatments were received, and what changed afterward. This timeline does not replace medical assessment, but it helps the hospital understand context without rebuilding the story from loose documents.
If relatives are involved, make sure everyone uses the same short summary. Include approximate dates when exact dates are not available, and clearly separate confirmed information from the patient's memory.
Reports
Separate core documents from attachments
Core documents often include previous diagnoses, discharge summaries, recent lab results, imaging studies, pathology reports, endoscopy reports, ECGs, surgical reports, and current prescriptions. Attachments may include older files, invoices, personal notes, or material that is useful only as context.
For initial coordination, it is not always necessary to send everything. OrientCare can help prepare a missing-document checklist and a first selection for clearer hospital review.
Format
Prepare files that can be reviewed
Name files with date, study type, and body area or specialty, for example 2026-04-CT-chest.pdf. If imaging is on a CD or hospital link, confirm whether it can be exported in a useful digital format before travel.
When reports are in Spanish, an English summary may be helpful. Sensitive clinical terms should not be freely rewritten; the goal is to support administrative review while leaving medical interpretation to the specialist.
Questions
Write questions for the doctor
Prepare concrete questions about the goal of the visit: second opinion, treatment review, surgery, follow-up, test interpretation, or exam planning. Avoid turning the list into an expected diagnosis; use it to avoid forgetting important points.
Also list allergies, medications with doses, prior surgeries, relevant conditions, mobility restrictions, and language needs. These details help organize the appointment and accompaniment.
Checklist
Before you contact a hospital
- 1Gather
Reports, imaging, medications, allergies, and previous procedures.
- 2Organize
Timeline, core documents, attachments, and consultation questions.
- 3Confirm
What is missing, what should be translated, and what needs physician review.
Service boundary
What this guide is and is not
This guide helps with preparation, language, documents, and logistics. It is not medical advice and does not replace a consultation with licensed healthcare professionals.
Last updated:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to translate every report?
Not always. A clear selection and, when useful, an English summary may be enough to start coordination. The final need depends on the hospital and specialty.
Does OrientCare interpret my results?
No. OrientCare helps organize documents and communication. Clinical interpretation belongs to licensed medical professionals.
Can I send photos of documents?
They may help at the beginning, but hospitals usually review legible PDFs or high-quality images more efficiently.
Contact
Prepare documents before requesting an appointment
Send the specialty, city, approximate dates, and a list of available documents. We can help organize the next step.
Useful details to include
- Destination city and approximate dates.
- Specialty or main reason for the visit.
- Available reports, questions, and language needs.