Prompt: Explaining a Cycle Cancellation to a Patient

The Prompt

Help me draft a message for a patient aged {{patient_age}} whose IVF cycle has been cancelled because of {{general_reason — e.g., "an inadequate response to stimulation" or "a finding on monitoring scan that requires further investigation before proceeding"}}.

The message should:
- Open by acknowledging how difficult this news is
- Explain the reason clearly in plain, non-clinical language
- Make clear that this is a clinical decision in their best interest, not a failure on their part
- Tell them what happens next (I will fill in the specific details myself)
- Close with a warm, supportive note

Tone: compassionate, honest, direct. Not falsely reassuring.
Around 200 words. Write as a message or short letter.

Privacy reminder: Use general terms only. Do not include real patient names, clinical reference numbers, or any identifying details.

Why This Works

Cycle cancellation is often experienced as a personal failure by patients, even when it is entirely appropriate clinically. The explicit instruction to include "this is a clinical decision in their best interest, not a failure" helps ensure the draft addresses that specific fear — one that might otherwise go unspoken.

How to Tweak It

• To emphasise the pathway forward, add: "Place slightly more emphasis on what comes next and the possibility of a future attempt — without making any specific promises."
• For a very short communication, add: "Write this as a brief phone-call script rather than a letter — just the key points in the right order."