Creating a Medical Profile Document
Having all of your medical information in one concise format, in a document you keep in your home, can be very helpful for family and current/future caregivers; particularly during new doctor appointments where medical history isn’t already documented in the provider system.
Here are some tips on what kind of information to include in compiling a medical profile:
Social Security number (for security, make sure you only provide this for documentation staying in the home or handed directly to family members)
Medicare number and Medicare plan
other insurance plans and policy numbers, including long-term care insurance
contact information for healthcare professionals, including doctors, specialists, nurses, pharmacists
current list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, and their dosages
current health conditions, treatments, and symptoms
history of any past health problemsany allergies or food restrictions
emergency contacts, close friends, neighbors, clergy, housing manager
where to find financial and legal information, including the person’s living will and medical power of attorney.
You can even take it a step further and create a Family Tree of Health to sketch out a broader health history that includes relatives.
Important questions to ask your blood relatives might include the standard questions of chronic and inherited conditions but you can take it a step further and ask the following:
What countries did our family come from? (Knowing this can help because some heritable diseases occur more often in certain population groups. Also, different diets and living environments can influence the risks of developing certain diseases.)
Has anyone in the family had birth defects, learning problems, or developmental disabilities, such as Down’s syndrome?
What illnesses did our late parents or grandparents have? How old were they when they died? What caused their deaths?
Keeping your medical information concise and handy in one document can help you or anyone who provides care for you in your home.
We often assume various health provider networks have all of our information digitally, but outside network providers may not. A medical profile document brought with you to the appointment can help you refer to needed information easily without the frustration of trying to remember every detail.
Broad Street can help.Through our professional network we can help put together a comprehensive profile. For more information call us at 847-728-1034.