Keeping a personal medical record could turn out to be lifesaving, literally. The record is simply an account of a patient describing the events related to their medical life. It includes important details such as their contact address, allergies, medication, previous surgeries, insurance information and so on. This tool plays a vital role particularly in chronically ill patients who have long histories of treatment and a corresponding huge amount of information.
When a patient has their health-related information at their fingertips, they are able to participate actively in the treatment process. This also helps eliminate guesswork, uncertainty and confusion that come about when important patient information is missing. With many health care facilities still using old filing systems, loss of patient files is fairly common. Having a personalised copy of the same will help one receive treatment even such circumstances.
Another advantage is the fact that the account kept by the patient is likely to be more complete than what any single health facility may have. When patients receive treatment from several centres, their information is scattered at these centres. Creating a personalised account means that one visits all these centres and compiles all the information into a single document. This is very convenient to the next physician that will attend to them.
To optimise the use of the records, patients need to keep updating them. All the procedures undergone must be noted down and kept. The same should apply to appointments, lab results, and medications taken. Should there be any side effects related to the drugs, they must be indicated as well. Keeping a diary and a journal is a good idea.
There are various methods that can be used to organise the information. The commonest of these methods is the use of chronological order. When arranged by date, the different documents can help assess the response of patients to various treatment modalities. This also help track the origin of some medical conditions and thus come up with the appropriate solutions. The other options that can be used include the use of lad tests, doctor appointments and treatment procedures.
There are a number of drawbacks that may hinder the compilation of this information. One of such challenges is the fact that it takes a very long time to collect all the relevant documents and organise them into one. This is because many facilities have the old filing systems where patient files have to be searched for manually. Another challenge is that the records have to be updated from time to time and this may be very tasking for many people.
Information security is a major concern for many patients. To minimize unauthorised access to personal information one is advised to choose a secure location where the documents can be locked up. Keeping a copy of the same with a relative or friend is a good idea. If the information is stored in a computer, the internet is an option. Several companies can store the information at a fee.
There are a number of considerations that one must have in mind as they search for a method of keeping a personal medical record. The most important consideration is security. Patient documents are confidential and every effort should be made to ensure that they remain as private as possible. Other things to have in mind include the ease of sharing the information with health care providers, the ease with which the records can be updated and the ease of retrieval.
When a patient has their health-related information at their fingertips, they are able to participate actively in the treatment process. This also helps eliminate guesswork, uncertainty and confusion that come about when important patient information is missing. With many health care facilities still using old filing systems, loss of patient files is fairly common. Having a personalised copy of the same will help one receive treatment even such circumstances.
Another advantage is the fact that the account kept by the patient is likely to be more complete than what any single health facility may have. When patients receive treatment from several centres, their information is scattered at these centres. Creating a personalised account means that one visits all these centres and compiles all the information into a single document. This is very convenient to the next physician that will attend to them.
To optimise the use of the records, patients need to keep updating them. All the procedures undergone must be noted down and kept. The same should apply to appointments, lab results, and medications taken. Should there be any side effects related to the drugs, they must be indicated as well. Keeping a diary and a journal is a good idea.
There are various methods that can be used to organise the information. The commonest of these methods is the use of chronological order. When arranged by date, the different documents can help assess the response of patients to various treatment modalities. This also help track the origin of some medical conditions and thus come up with the appropriate solutions. The other options that can be used include the use of lad tests, doctor appointments and treatment procedures.
There are a number of drawbacks that may hinder the compilation of this information. One of such challenges is the fact that it takes a very long time to collect all the relevant documents and organise them into one. This is because many facilities have the old filing systems where patient files have to be searched for manually. Another challenge is that the records have to be updated from time to time and this may be very tasking for many people.
Information security is a major concern for many patients. To minimize unauthorised access to personal information one is advised to choose a secure location where the documents can be locked up. Keeping a copy of the same with a relative or friend is a good idea. If the information is stored in a computer, the internet is an option. Several companies can store the information at a fee.
There are a number of considerations that one must have in mind as they search for a method of keeping a personal medical record. The most important consideration is security. Patient documents are confidential and every effort should be made to ensure that they remain as private as possible. Other things to have in mind include the ease of sharing the information with health care providers, the ease with which the records can be updated and the ease of retrieval.
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