How to Make a Personal Medical Record Book

A personal medical record book can be an invaluable resource if you have to change physicians. Present this record book to your new doctor to ensure that you will get the best treatment. This is a compilation of your health care history. It is best to have one for every member of your family, and be sure to update these records regularly, especially after medical procedures (both major and minor), vaccinations, major illnesses or diagnoses, and health test results. Be sure to also include information from all of your doctors and dentists: primary care, specialists and alternative providers.

Things You'll Need

• Three-ring binder
• Three-hole punch
• Notebook with three holes in the side or loose-leaf lined paper
• Pen
• Copies of medical records and history (contact your current and previous physicians and dentists)

Instructions

1. Use the three-hole punch to punch holes in the copies of the medical records.

2. Open the rings in the three-ring binder, and insert the medical records by date. The most recent records should be on top, and the oldest will be on the bottom. If you were given an electronic copy on a floppy disk, CD-ROM or USB thumb drive, print out paper copies and keep the electronic source in the pocket of the binder or in another safe place.

3. Place the notebook or loose-leaf paper inside the rings of the three-ring binder on top of the medical records.

4. Inside the notebook, record anything not included in the medical records. These might include illnesses or vaccines for which you were unable to obtain the proper records.

5. Write the current date on the top of the inside cover of the notebook (or the top sheet of loose leaf paper). Next to this date, write down your current height and weight. You should leave enough space to make updates to this record. You can draw 1/2- to 3/4-inch high rows and five columns if desired. Each of the rows will be a different date of a doctor's office visit. The columns will be: date, height, weight, temperature, blood pressure. Follow the next step for further instructions about these columns.

6. Take your record book with you every time you visit your doctor. The next time you visit your doctor, write that date under the current date. You will then record the weight, height, body temperature and blood pressure measured in your doctor's office.