How should I compile my health profile?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:To create the perfect health profile, start by using health history and health info forms you can find at jcaho.org. Your doctor may also have a form that he or she uses. Start by filling this out as completely as you can. Most patients do a very quick and cursory job in the waiting room, and that's nowhere near as useful (or appreciated) as a more thorough job.
Start with all the easy stuff, such as your birth date, address, your doctor's contact info, your pharmacy, your insurance info, etc. This will be your master form, the one you copy (or store on a computer hard drive, CD, or other storage option) and give out whenever necessary, including when you visit a new medical professional or step foot in a hospital (take at least two copies—give one to the admitting nurse who welcomes you to your bed, or gurney).
Now, under a section titled "Existing Conditions," write down every significant ailment you have right now. This would be the place to list ongoing conditions such as cancer, diabetes, anemia, hypertension, psoriasis, depression, back pain, sleep apnea, and the like. Don't include anything you had years ago but don't have now; that goes in a different place.
Be certain to include anything you're taking medication for, even if the specific symptoms are gone (for example, if you're controlling your high blood pressure with medication, list high blood pressure). Next to each condition, list when you were diagnosed, what medication you're taking for it (if any), what treatments you're undergoing, and any other relevant info.
In the next section, list your PAST significant ailments and conditions, noting when you were diagnosed and what happened. Then list all the details about the medications you're taking (all pills or tablets or anything that you regularly ingest, inject, insert, or otherwise consume regularly, whether it's prescription or over-the-counter drugs, herbal supplements, vitamins, etc).
In addition to having these forms handy when you see your doctor (meaning in your pocket or in the doctor's office file cabinet or computer system), always bring the actual bottles of all those medicinal consumables, too. It's important!
Finally, you'll want to include a complete family health history—a family tree of all relatives (going back to grandparents) that lists their health profiles.
Find out more about this book: YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatmen...
To create the perfect health profile, start by using health history and health info forms you can find at jcaho.org. Your doctor may also have a form that he or she uses. Start by filling this out as completely as you can. Most patients do a very... More -
Ms. Annette Moore of Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered:In a nutshell: Name; address and telephone numbers; date of birth; emergency contact person(s); your height and weight; allergies to any food or medicine (stating how you react to the allergen), current medications: name, dose, how it is taken (by mouth, injections, patch, skin or eye ointments) and your pharmacy contact information; any chronic conditions which you now have and when you were diagnosed with them; list all past medical history conditions noting the year in which the condition occurred; list past surgical history with the year the surgery was performed; list any tests performed for screening (such as colonoscopy, x-rays, mammograms) and their results. This is a good basic start and may be modified as new information is obtained. You also may want to also include any dietary restrictions or preferences as well as specific social, cultural, or religious needs (this is optional).
In a nutshell: Name; address and telephone numbers; date of birth; emergency contact person(s); your height and weight; allergies to any food or medicine (stating how you react to the allergen), current medications: name, dose, how it is taken (by... More -
Joane Goodroe answered:In addition to compiling information for your physicians to review, it is good to request a copy of all medical tests such as lab results from each physician you visit. Most physicians do not have access to your results from another physician, and this will help all the physicians in their diagnosis and treatment plan for you. It can also help decrease the cost of unnecessary tests being repeated.
In addition to compiling information for your physicians to review, it is good to request a copy of all medical tests such as lab results from each physician you visit. Most physicians do not have access to your results from another physician,... More -
Shelley Peterman Schwarz answered:To compile your own personal medical file, purchase a three-ring binder and several sheets with divider tabs. Use a three-hole punch so that you can insert any kind of paper into the notebook. Organize the binder into sections:
- Family health history.
- Past illnesses.
- Dated summaries of office appointments, tests, treatments, surgical procedures, and hospitalizations, including copies of test results.
- Prescription log, with details about the names and dosages of all your medications, including nonprescription medications and vitamin supplements, and notes on why, when, and how often you take the drugs.
- Symptom log, to track how you feel before and after the introduction of a new medication, as well as recording any new symptoms or side effects. Keeping a symptom log is important because, if you don’t write them down, you may report only those symptoms to the doctor that you actually feel while you’re in the office for an appointment.
- Question and answer log, to keep track of questions you have for your doctor, along with the answers you receive.
To compile your own personal medical file, purchase a three-ring binder and several sheets with divider tabs. Use a three-hole punch so that you can insert any kind of paper into the notebook. Organize the binder into sections: Family... More
