What health records should I keep?

This is a great question. As our healthcare system (and country) moves closer and closer to electronic health records and even personal health records, now is a perfect time to get started on creating your own health record.  It may take some time to get organized, but after it's all done, you'll be glad you invested the time. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests creating a file and starting with:

• Your name, birth date, blood type and emergency contact name and contact information.
• Date of last physical and by whom?
• Dates and printed results of any routine tests or screenings.  This might include colonscopy results, chest xrays, annual bloodwork (like cholesterol or blood sugar), mammograms or Pap smears.
• Dates and printed results of any non-routine tests, screenings, or procedures. This might include CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, knee surgeries, etc.
• Major illnesses and surgeries, with dates.  If you're really ambitious, contact the hospital where you were an in-patient and get the operative report and discharge summaries for your admission.
• A list of your medicines, dosages, how long you've taken them and who prescribed them.
• Any allergies---to drugs, foods, or the environment.
• Any chronic diseases like high blood pressure or diabetes.
• Any history of illnesses in your family. This would include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, mental illness/depression, high blood pressure.

Just a word of warning: Don't expect that the studies or the consultation letter from that office visit you just had with the specialist will get back to your primary care physician.  Take responsibility for keeping your own records.  Some of our patients actually have loaded all of their data onto a flash drive and carry it with them--just in case!  It will be well worth the effort in the long run.  And once you've become accustomed to asking, it will be second nature!

Keep information about your health organized and easily accessible, such as in a journal, file folders, or 3-ring binder. Organize this information by date and type of services received.

Include the originals or copies of the following records and information about your health history:

• Copies of medical records, receipts, invoices, and statements for prescriptions, medical equipment, and doctor and hospital visits

• Contact information for all the of the professionals, including social workers, physical and occupational therapists, nurses and doctors you see now or have seen in the past

• Information about medications, vitamins, and allergies

• Medical treatment history, including dates, diagnoses, and other information

• Lists of medical symptoms and concerns

Make sure you have complete and updated medical information for yourself and family members. Be sure to include a list of any prior medical problems, surgeries, medications, or allergies for everyone. Besides keeping copies at your home or office, you can also keep a copy on your smartphone and have it available should you end up in the ER. Anyone with a severe allergy should consider getting a medical bracelet or necklace that identifies his or her allergies.