By Laura Heuer

As a caregiver in the past, a small business owner, and a mother, I’ve realized that having a record of healthcare appointments, health tests, lab tests, results, health professionals, insurance companies, condition symptoms, and more all in one place can truly save time, reduce stress, and may help you obtain better service. I’m now a huge advocate of something called a “Personal Health Record” to organize you or your loved one’s health. 

What is a PHR/Health Record?

A PHR (personal health record) is an account of your health or the health of someone whom you are caring for. It includes a space for contact information, symptoms, appointments, and full records describing every “incident.”

Doctors take down notes and keep vital information about you or your loved one’s health at their office. You, too, can keep a personal health record and store it in a safe place at home or in your office. Your records may contain even more information than the doctor has, and may contain critical information about day-to-day activities.

Why have a Personal Health Record?

My kids have a dentist, an orthodontist, an eye doctor, and a pediatrician. One of them has an allergist, another child has an endocrinologist and dermatologist, and at one point one child had an ear, nose, and throat doctor. The list of healthcare professionals can be significant even when you are not having a medical issue. Having a record of all these healthcare professionals can keep you organized.

But why else keep the records?

Here are just a few reasons why keeping medical records may be important:

• One Place for all Information. If you see one physician in one practice, he/she may need access to the records of any other physician’s or healthcare professionals. Instead of contacting all the other doctors, you can simply produce your copies of all the health records. It can save time.
• One Place for Contacts. It can be helpful for you and other healthcare professionals when you have doctors’ test results, contact information, and hours in one place.
• A True Record of What Happened. It is more accurate to write down symptoms that you or your loved one may experience directly *after* the experience, rather than rely on memory. A personal health record can be used as a journal to document symptoms and incidents immediately after they occur.
• Better Service at the Doctor. Many people forget to ask their doctor or healthcare professional any questions during the visit. You may simply forget, or be too shy to bring up any questions. If you write down your questions ahead of time, and truly think them out, you are more likely to ask your doctor. Better questions receive better answers. Your personal health record may also be used to write down your doctor’s answers.
• A Back-Up Plan.What happens if you are not around to take your loved one to the doctor? Or if someone has to take over the care of your loved one? Keeping all the records written down in one place makes it easier to transfer the caregiving duties.
• To Help Keep You and Your Loved One Safe. Having written information in the form of a Personal Health Record helps medical professionals in the event of an emergency—for you or your loved one. You could be the one who needs emergency attention, or, you could panic during an emergency and forget the medication names your loved one is taking.

How to Create a Personal Health Record

Starting a PHR may seem time consuming but it can save you time when you need it most—during hectic doctor appointments, medical emergencies, and more. Once you write down the important information you may discover that you need it (at every appointment).

You may consider including the following in a personal health record:

• Important medical condition information, including prescription medications, time and day of the medication dosage, and more.
• Information about allergies and known reactions to any medications.
• Family history-note when prognosis was given (if known).
• Major medical events such as surgeries, trauma, in-patient or out-patient care.
• Immunizations. Make sure you write the place, date, time, and any reactions.
• Appointments. Keep a running sheet on all appointments, the doctor’s name, the place of the appointment, and a phone number so that you can easily find your last appointments with each doctor.
• Symptom sheets. Keep any health or condition symptoms written down so you can refer to them when you need to.
• Notes. This section can be used for notes surrounding a doctor visit, a health incident, or anything else you think might be important relating to the health and well-being of your loved one.
• Question and Answers. Any time you have a question or concern about something, or want to ask your healthcare professional something, write it down. Be sure to ask your questions during the next appointment. Keep all the questions and results with dates of the appointment written on them for future reference.
• Test results, Doctor letters, lab tests results, lab test data, copies of insurance claims. Go ahead and ask for a copy at every appointment. Don’t be shy!
• Healthcare professional business cards. Always take two for each professional: One for you and one to give for referral to a friend or family member, or to another doctor for information.
• Directions to healthcare professional offices, hospitals, clinics, and any other place you and your loved one may visit as part of the healthcare plan. You may consider printing out maps of how to get to each place from your home or place of business.

How Do You Get All the Necessary Information for a Personal Health Record?

Most of this information you already have. Just keep adding you or your loved one’s symptoms, appointments, questions, and answers as you go. Ask for your test results and insurance claim forms at every appointment. Put anything that seems relevant to you or your loved one’s medical condition in your personal health record. And just keep adding information as necessary.

You can start today with your important information, contact information, and you or your doctor’s name. You can fill in the rest every time you sit in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Now that is a good use of your time!