Your own medical records

[Bizdoc]

After reading some comments in another thread about copies of medical records, I thought that I would share a couple of things that I have found to be helpful:

1) Scan your advance medical directives/ medical power of attorney/ living will into .pdf files and store copies on your cell phone. In an emergency, you probably won't think to grab a paper power of attorney, but you will have your cell phone. Has "saved the day" for me a couple of times when hospitals had questions about the patient's wishes.

2) Create a simple word document with (a) a list of the person's doctors (with address and phone); (b) a list of medications and dosages; (c) list of allergies; (d) list of surgeries in past 5-10 years, (e) list of hospitalizations; and (f) any significant chronic illnesses. Saves tons of time with new doctors *and* you can print a copy out and carry on trips. (You can also put on your cell phone). Don't forget to update this, especially the medications. Saves a lot of writing as you can just put "see attached" and give them the copy.

[NotGolfer]

Great ideas! Thanks for the idea of putting the doctors into a document...hadn't thought of that. We have made a list of medications and allergies and take the copies to doctor visits and you're right on how that saves time. As we age, many of us will be on a plethora of medications for this and that---it'll get harder to remember which ones and their dosage etc.

[villager]

Hubby and I do this - we have each other's medications, my parent's medications, my mom's DNR and other pertinent information on both our phones. We use Dropbox so whenever something is updated, it saves to both phones. Works like a champ and I always have my parent's medication list handy when I take them to the doctors. The hardest part is making sure the list is always updated.

[Sable99]

After reading some comments in another thread about copies of medical records, I thought that I would share a couple of things that I have found to be helpful:

1) Scan your advance medical directives/ medical power of attorney/ living will into .pdf files and store copies on your cell phone. In an emergency, you probably won't think to grab a paper power of attorney, but you will have your cell phone. Has "saved the day" for me a couple of times when hospitals had questions about the patient's wishes.

2) Create a simple word document with (a) a list of the person's doctors (with address and phone); (b) a list of medications and dosages; (c) list of allergies; (d) list of surgeries in past 5-10 years, (e) list of hospitalizations; and (f) any significant chronic illnesses. Saves tons of time with new doctors *and* you can print a copy out and carry on trips. (You can also put on your cell phone). Don't forget to update this, especially the medications. Saves a lot of writing as you can just put "see attached" and give them the copy.



I have done #2 for years and make an updated copy for the doctors when I have an appointment. They love it! It is often very hard to write the information they want in the amount of space they give you.

[Deerfly]

I have just spent a LOT of time in Gainesville at Shands. My main doctor up there knows that I am having a difficult time getting my Medicare supplement to pay for anything they do. If Shands can't squeeze it out of them they have eaten the cost. In any event he has asked if I want him to make a CD out of all my records at Shands. I gratefully accepted!
Had to wait until January of 2014 to change to a better Medicare supplement with doctors that I have actually heard good things about. Don't sign up for a Medicare supplement without knowing something about the doctors in it.
That's good advice from an old ****.