i-consult applies a set of defaults to every episode it creates for you, so you don't have to make the same choices each time. Set them once in your profile and they carry across to every new episode, whether automatic or manual. You can still override any of them on an individual episode when you need to.

```callout kind="info"
These defaults live in your profile preferences. They seed each new episode; changing them here doesn't alter episodes that already exist.
```

## Set your defaults

```steps
1. Go to **Settings → Profile** and find the **i-consult Preferences** section.
2. Choose your **Focus Level**. This sets how the questionnaire is targeted (see the meanings below).
3. Set the **Default Days Before Appointment** (0–30). This is how many days before each appointment the patient receives their questionnaire link.
4. Set **Consultation Time - New** using the slider (5–60 minutes).
5. Set **Consultation Time - Follow-up** using the slider (5–60 minutes).
6. Click **Save Changes**. The button shows "Saving..." while it saves.
```

## What the Focus Level options mean

- **Specialty Specific**: a targeted history for your specialty plus some general background. Balances specialty focus with broader context. A sensible default for most specialists.
- **Broad**: a comprehensive general medical history. Good for GPs or initial assessments that need the full background.
- **Referral Specific**: focuses tightly on the history around the specific referral concern. Best when you need targeted referral information rather than a wide-ranging history.

## About Default Days Before Appointment

The default, and our recommendation, is **3 days**. Three days balances getting fresh information before a consult against rushing the patient: late enough that their answers reflect how they are now, but early enough that they have time to complete the questionnaire without feeling hurried.

You can set anything from 0 to 30 days, and you can override it per episode when a particular appointment needs different timing.

## What you'll see

Your **i-consult Preferences** sit alongside the rest of your profile fields: **Full Name**, **Professional Title**, **Specialty**, **Practice Name**, and **Location**. Once you save, every new episode created for you (automatically from your EMR or manually) starts from these values.

```callout kind="care"
Your focus level and consultation times shape how deep the questionnaire goes, but the history your patient produces is still their own self-reported account. Whatever defaults you choose, you remain responsible for reviewing and confirming the history during the consultation.
```

## If it doesn't work

- You want to change the timing for one patient only → don't change your default. Set **Days Before Appointment** on that individual episode instead. See [Create a patient episode manually](/i-consult/create-a-patient-episode).
- The SMS still went out at the wrong time → see [The SMS date/time looks wrong](/i-consult/sms-date-time-wrong).