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Summary
You've probably seen your chart at your doctor's office. In fact, you may have charts at several doctors' offices. If you've been in the hospital, you have a chart there, too. These charts are your medical records. They may be on paper or electronic. To keep track of all this information, it's a good idea to keep your own personal health record.
What kind of information would you put in a personal health record? You could start with:
- Your name, birth date, blood type, and emergency contact information
- Date of last physical
- Dates and results of tests and screenings
- Major illnesses and surgeries, with dates
- A list of your medicines and supplements, the dosages, and how long you've taken them
- Any allergies
- Any chronic diseases
- Any history of illnesses in your family
Related Issues
- Creating a Personal Health Journal (Health Diary) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- How to Keep Your Health Information Private and Secure (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) - PDF
- How to Read Your Radiology Report (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
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Letting Your Personal Health Information Be Used and Shared for Research
(National Institutes of Health)
- Patient Access to Health Records (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology)
- Protecting the Privacy and Security of Your Health Information (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology)
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Electronic Medical Records/Electronic Health Records (EMRs/EHRs) (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Individuals Use of Technology to Track Health Care Charges and Costs (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology)
- Office-Based Physician Electronic Health Record Adoption (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Electronic Health Records
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Health Records, Personal
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Meaningful Use
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Toward Personalized Care and Patient Empowerment and Perspectives on a Personal...
- Article: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices about Electronic Personal Health Records: A Cross-Sectional...
- Article: What Should Students and Trainees Learn About Patient-Centered Documentation?
- Personal Health Records -- see more articles
Children
- Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule Allow Parents the Right to See Their Children's Medical Records? (Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights)
- Viewing Clinical Notes in Your Child's Electronic Medical Record (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Electronic Health Records (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Your Medical Records (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Patient portals - an online tool for your health (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish