Pre-Procedure Instructions Templates

Reusable pre-procedure instruction templates — preparation, day-of logistics, and aftercare — that keep patients safe and reduce cancellations.

Template Category Overview

Pre-procedure instructions are safety-critical and highly repetitive: the same fasting rules, medication holds, arrival logistics, and aftercare apply to each procedure type, and a missed instruction can mean a cancelled or unsafe procedure. Yet staff often retype these from memory or a scattered document, which is exactly how a critical step like "stop blood thinners" gets dropped. A text expander stores the verified instruction sets so a short trigger drops in the complete, correct message — no step omitted under time pressure. Lightning Assist works in your EHR and patient-portal messaging, with placeholders for the procedure, the date, and patient-specific holds, and AI Enhance can simplify the medical phrasing into language a patient will reliably follow. Keep protected health information out of shared libraries, and always review the inserted instructions against the specific procedure before sending — a template is a verified starting point, not a substitute for the clinician's check.

When to Use These Templates

Use pre-procedure instruction templates for any procedure with standardized prep and aftercare: endoscopies, minor surgery, imaging with contrast, dental procedures, and sedation cases. The structure (preparation, day-of logistics, aftercare) is constant; only the procedure, timing, and patient-specific holds change. Standardizing these is genuinely safety-relevant — a templated, verified instruction set is far less likely to drop a critical step like a medication hold or the escort requirement than instructions typed from memory at the end of a busy day. The same library works across your EHR and patient portal. Always review the inserted instructions against the specific procedure and patient before sending, and keep protected health information out of the shared library — the template is a verified starting frame, not a replacement for clinical judgment.

Example Templates in This Category

Preparation instructions: fasting, medication holds, and what to arrange in advance.
Day-of logistics: arrival time, what to bring, and the escort/transport requirement.
Aftercare instructions: recovery steps, warning signs, and when to follow up.

Example Templates in Practice

Preparation instructions

The prep message is where safety lives, so completeness matters more than brevity. Spell out fasting rules with exact timing, list any medications to hold or continue, and note anything to arrange in advance (a driver, time off, supplies). Because a missed prep step can cancel the procedure, this is the template you least want to write from memory. Use placeholders for the procedure, the fasting window, and the medication holds. Keep it on a trigger like ;preprep, and always review the holds against this specific patient before sending.

Hi [#Patient first name#], to prepare for your [#procedure#] on [#date#]: Do not eat or drink after [#time#] ([#fasting window#] before). [#Medications to hold: e.g. stop blood thinners on #date#]. Continue [#medications to keep taking#]. Arrange [#a driver / time off#]. Questions? Call [#phone#] — please don't skip any step.

Day-of logistics

Clear day-of logistics prevent late arrivals and last-minute cancellations. Confirm the arrival time (usually earlier than the procedure time), where to check in, what to bring, and — critically for many procedures — the requirement for an escort or transport home. Stating the escort rule explicitly avoids the heartbreaking same-day cancellation when a patient arrives alone for a sedation procedure. Use placeholders for the arrival time, location, and escort requirement. Keep it on a trigger like ;preday so the logistics are complete and consistent.

Hi [#Patient first name#], for your [#procedure#] on [#date#]: please arrive at [#arrival time#] at [#location / check-in#]. Bring [#ID, insurance, medication list#]. Important: you [#will need / will not need#] someone to drive you home — [#sedation note#]. Wear [#comfortable clothing#]. See you then.

Aftercare instructions

Aftercare sent in advance (and again after) helps patients recover safely and reduces post-procedure calls. Cover the recovery basics, the activity and medication guidance, the warning signs that warrant a call, and when to follow up. As with any clinical summary, the warning-signs line is a safety net and must be specific and easy to find. Use placeholders for the recovery steps, the warning signs, and the follow-up timing. Keep it on a trigger like ;preaftercare, and review the warning-signs line on every send.

After your [#procedure#]: [#recovery basics: rest, diet, activity#]. Take [#medication / pain guidance#]. It's normal to have [#expected symptoms#]. Call [#phone#] or seek urgent care if you experience [#warning signs: heavy bleeding, fever, severe pain#]. Follow up in [#timeframe#].

How to Get Started

Build three snippets per procedure type: preparation (;preprep), day-of logistics (;preday), and aftercare (;preaftercare). Add placeholders for the procedure, the fasting window, medication holds, arrival time, and warning signs. Type the trigger and it expands inline as you type — no hotkey needed (or use Hotkey Mode) — in your EHR or portal message editor. Keep one verified instruction set per procedure so you compose from correct, reviewed parts, and keep protected health information out of the shared library so it stays HIPAA-safe. Use AI Enhance to simplify medical phrasing into language patients reliably follow, and always review the holds and warning-signs lines against the specific patient and procedure before sending.

Pro Tips

Keep one verified instruction set per procedure type — a missed prep step like a medication hold can cancel or endanger the procedure.
State the escort/transport requirement explicitly for sedation procedures; it prevents heartbreaking same-day cancellations.
Always review medication holds and warning-signs lines against this specific patient and procedure before sending.
Keep protected health information out of the shared library; the template is a verified frame, the clinician confirms the specifics at send.