Health History Reconciliation: Why You Need a Pocket Card of Information
Americans are living longer than ever before. However, with age comes a higher risk of chronic diseases and more complex medical care and needs. There are more than 1 billion doctor-patient visits a year, and about 50 percent of the people in the United States use at least one prescription medication. It can be hard for doctors and patients to keep up with the list of medications and medical problems that might need to be addressed at any moment. While electronic medical records can help, not every doctor's office has one, and not all of the systems are connected. So if you go to an emergency room, they may not have access to the electronic system that your primary care doctor's office uses.
What can you do to easily keep track of things? Create a pocket card with the relevant health information. This will help you and your doctor have an accurate list of your health concerns. If you are the spokesperson for someone else, keep a copy of their health pocket card, as well. This information can be kept on an index card or a small piece of paper, or be stored on your phone or in your email. Just make sure it is easily accessible (but secure) for when you or your loved one goes to the doctor's office.
The top three things you should include on your health card include:
1. All relevant health problems. This would include all medical issues currently being addressed (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, depression) and all past medical issues that might be cured or in remission (e.g. cancers, surgeries). If there is room, it is helpful to put down when diseases were first diagnosed and when treatment stopped, or whether treatment is ongoing.
2. All medications that you are taking. Any medication prescribed by a doctor and any over-the-counter medications that you are taking should be on the list. Include the dosages of the medicines and how many times a day you take it. The best way to get this information is to write down what is on the label.
3. Allergies to any medications that you have had at any point in your life. Be sure to jot down what reaction you had to the medication as well, because not all allergies are equal. If you had a minor reaction to one medication, it may be OK to try a different medication in the same class. However, if you had a very severe reaction, it may be best to avoid all medications in that class of drugs.
If there is room, or if you want to make an expanded health card, some other things to include are:
1. Your family history. This should include the health information of your parents, siblings and children. If there are diseases that run in the family, for example if 2 aunts and 3 uncles all had heart attacks, include those, too.
2. How much alcohol you drink, now and in the past.
3. If you have ever used tobacco; how much and for how long.
4. Preventive screening results . Also include the year it was done and the result, if possible. For example, "last mammogram -- 2012, normal."
The most important thing is to keep it updated. You can pick a certain date to do it. For example, every Father's Day, update your dad's health pocket card. Every Mother's Day, update hers. Every January 1, update your own. Or you can update it with your physician yearly to make sure you and your doctor are aware of the active and past health issues that may need to be addressed. Tuck it away somewhere safe -- a wallet, glove box in your car -- so you will have it when you need it.
Cathy Handy is the writer of HandyAdvice. She received her AB from Harvard University and then went on to receive an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and MD from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is currently a senior resident physician in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
