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PrintMedical guide - Maintaining medical files
Keeping a personal medical file is not only important to the patient.
Personal medical records are a vital connection between doctor and patient. Even if a patient remains active with a physician, it is important for patients to maintain their own personal medical files for a variety of reasons.
For patients who may be moving to a new city or changing doctors it is very beneficial to have a personal medical file.
“If a patient comes in and they bring a chart in from another city or physician we will go through the chart and get the information from that – like labs, X-rays, EKGs, consultations,” says Dr. Andrew Gordon with Omni Medical Group.
Gordon says he makes sure to give patients copies of any major tests performed because patients often forget what exactly they had done and it provides a way to track a person’s progress or decline. He also suggests patients keep records of consultations with specialists to discuss with their primary caregiver.
Personal files should be stored in a dry, protected place. Dr. Jeffrey Galles, medical director with Oklahoma Physician Group/Utica Park Clinic, says that floods, broken water lines, fires and tornadoes can all destroy your records – including those with your doctor. “When physicians move, retire or die, medical records can be difficult to obtain,” Galles adds. “Hospital records are usually easier to obtain, but are still vulnerable to natural disaster.”
Medical records are also important because they provide a reference tool for patients of all ages, such as a child’s immunization records that are required for school or daycare.
“It is common to receive calls from adults in their 30s entering some type of clinical or medical school program who need their immunization records,” says Dr. Stan Schwartz, vice president and medical director of Warren Clinic. “Without the records as proof, they have to start the vaccination series again.”
Gordon adds that seniors also need to keep a record of their shots for pneumonia, tetanus and hepatitis a or b since that can save them some time and money in the future."
Providing medical personnel with proper information is imperative in any medical setting, especially when an emergency situation occurs.
“Knowing patients’ medical histories — for example, if they suffer from any chronic conditions or have had recent surgeries — and what medications patients take helps paramedics determine the best course of treatment in a quicker fashion,” EMSA Paramedic Chris Stevens says.
Pertinent information needed by first responders and paramedics – date of birth, significant medical history such as chronic conditions and recent surgeries, allergies and medications – can be found in many ways. Many people put medical information and emergency contacts in their cell phone, but it does not help if the phone is password protected, Stevens says. Also, information must be updated as it changes.
Stevens says besides cell phones, there are many products available on the market that can aid medical personnel. While providing limited but crucial information, medical identification bracelets are an easy and inexpensive way to be prepared.
A simple list including your name, date of birth, significant medical history, allergies, medications, emergency contact information and physician’s name is a great resource if emergency help is needed at home. Stevens suggests posting a list like this on the refrigerator and in the medicine cabinet.
Invisible Bracelet, a virtual medical identification bracelet a user can keep on their key ring or driver’s license, is a product EMSA has embraced. “Invisible Bracelet is unique in that it gives paramedics access to all of a patient’s information and also sends a notification to the patient’s emergency contacts,” Stevens says. More information about this product can be found online at www.invisiblebracelet.com.
