Why you need a medical history
One of the single best things you can do to improve the quality and efficiency of your doctors appointments is to have a well-organized, concise medical history. Think of the bliss of writing “see list” on intake forms instead of writing out each medication and dosage for every single appointment. Imagine the childlike joy on your doctor’s face when you give them all of your relevant information to refer back to. Think of the mental strain you will save yourself if you don’t have to remember your internist’s phone number.
Having a medical history that is up to date and with you at all times is also very important in case of emergency. When seconds matter, you want first responders to have access to your precautions, medications, and emergency contacts. Your medical history can be your voice if you are unable to advocate for yourself and your needs.
How to organize your medical history
Rounding up your possibly extensive medical information and wrangling it into a one to two page history may seem intimidating. How do you know what’s most relevant? How should it be organized? What formatting would make it easy to read? Fear not, you can save your mental energy for another task, because I’ve created a template for you.
You can check it out here for inspiration before yo make your own, or you can copy and paste the whole thing and just fill in your information. I’ve decorated the template with comments to help further clarify certain things.
Here is a preview:
Now go forth and create your own!