Which activity was missed?
Name the visit, questionnaire, sample, procedure or other task and its planned date. Distinguish not attending from attending but not completing one part. If an intervention or medicine is involved, seek instructions from the responsible clinician rather than treating the event as an ordinary scheduling issue. A research task and a usual-care appointment may have different contacts.
What should you tell the team?
Use the verified contact and a short factual account. You could write: “I missed [activity] planned for [date]. Please confirm what I should do next and whether any safety contact is needed.” Say what was actually completed. Ask for the proper private route before sharing health details. Do not send a message containing unnecessary records to an unverified address.
Can the activity be rescheduled?
Ask the team about the protocol’s permitted timing, any alternative format and how the missed activity is recorded. ICH good clinical practice emphasises protocol compliance and reliable data; it does not create a universal rescheduling window. A late questionnaire, repeat sample and replacement visit may be treated differently. Keep an option marked unconfirmed until the team replies.
What should you avoid correcting yourself?
Do not repeat an intervention, double a medicine dose, alter treatment or fill an old questionnaire as though you had answered it on the original date. Tell the team what happened and let it specify the documented correction or next activity. If a message appears to conflict with your clinical instructions, ask the responsible professionals to resolve it.
What if the barrier may happen again?
Explain the practical difficulty, such as work, travel, accessibility or support needs. Ask which existing scheduling or support arrangements the study can offer. Do not assume a remote replacement is allowed or a missed activity automatically ends participation. The team needs the actual circumstances to explain its options and any implications.
What should you confirm before the next appointment?
Keep the reply, new date and location, preparation instructions and named contact. Ask whether any safety follow-up remains and what to do if another problem arises. If you have an urgent health need, use appropriate clinical care rather than waiting on a research mailbox. This checklist does not decide eligibility or modify the protocol.