Travel burden includes driving time, parking, early arrival, repeat visits, weather, reimbursement delays, and the cost of schedule disruption.
Ask for the exact address, parking instructions, building name, suite number, check-in location, and expected visit length. Some hospital campuses and universities require more time for parking and walking than the appointment itself suggests. For fasting visits, ask whether labs are first thing in the morning or after other procedures.
Ask whether all visits are at the same site. Some studies use one location for screening, another for imaging, and another for follow-up. A study that looks local can become difficult if later visits are at a different campus or partner facility.
Add the round-trip time, parking time, waiting time, and recovery time after procedures. A two-hour visit can take half a day when the site is across town, parking is slow, and check-in starts early. If payment depends on completion, ask whether missed travel connections, illness, or weather-related delays affect payment.
Keep a separate travel record with dates, miles, receipts, parking charges, and reimbursement requests. If reimbursement is delayed, a written record helps you follow up with the coordinator or payment vendor.
Some visits have flexible windows. Others must occur a certain number of hours or days after dosing, baseline, imaging, or a prior visit. Ask which visits are flexible and which ones are locked. If you have seasonal work, school pickup, caregiving duties, livestock chores, or long winter drives, narrow windows matter.
Bring permitted food, water, medications, charger, glasses, reading material, and payment or parking information. Ask first because some visits restrict food, caffeine, devices, or movement.
Record departure time, arrival time, checkout time, miles, parking cost, meals, receipts, and reimbursement request date. Follow up before receipts get lost.
Confirm the exact address, building, suite, parking area, check-in desk, and expected arrival time. Ask whether late arrival cancels the visit, whether parking is validated, whether mileage is paid, and whether rideshare or hotel reimbursement requires approval in advance.
For fasting visits, ask how long the fast lasts, whether water is allowed, whether medications can be taken, and when food will be available. For long visits, ask whether you can bring a laptop, charger, medication, snack, or reading material. Small restrictions matter more when the visit lasts several hours.
