Keeping a personal medical record could turn out to be lifesaving, literally. The record is simply an account of a patient describing the events related to their medical life. It includes important details such as their contact address, allergies, medication, previous surgeries, insurance information and so on. This tool plays a vital role particularly in chronically ill patients who have long histories of treatment and a corresponding huge amount of information.

When a patient has their health-related information at their fingertips, they are able to participate actively in the treatment process. This also helps eliminate guesswork, uncertainty and confusion that come about when important patient information is missing. With many health care facilities still using old filing systems, loss of patient files is fairly common. Having a personalised copy of the same will help one receive treatment even such circumstances.

A personal account is usually more comprehensive that that held at the health facilities. This is because the patient is able to compile information collected from the various physicians that have attended to them into a single document. The next doctor that attends to them will be able to provide better service as they will have most of the information they require.

To optimise the use of the records, patients need to keep updating them. All the procedures undergone must be noted down and kept. The same should apply to appointments, lab results, and medications taken. Should there be any side effects related to the drugs, they must be indicated as well. Keeping a diary and a journal is a good idea.

Patient information may be organised in a number of ways. One of these ways is the use of dates. The information, in this case is organised chronologically from the earliest to the latest. This manner of arrangement helps keep track of the progress. It can be used to decide whether the interventions that have been instituted have been effective or not. Other ways of organising information include the use of doctor appointments, tests and treatments.

There are several challenges that hamper the use of these records. The time required to compile all the required information is quite a lot. The main reason for this is because most health facilities use paper-based filing systems and retrieval of files usually takes a while. The other major challenge is that the frequent updating required is quite tedious and many people usually give up.

Information security is a major concern for many patients. To minimize unauthorised access to personal information one is advised to choose a secure location where the documents can be locked up. Keeping a copy of the same with a relative or friend is a good idea. If the information is stored in a computer, the internet is an option. Several companies can store the information at a fee.

There are a number of considerations that one must have in mind as they search for a method of keeping a personal medical record. The most important consideration is security. Patient documents are confidential and every effort should be made to ensure that they remain as private as possible. Other things to have in mind include the ease of sharing the information with health care providers, the ease with which the records can be updated and the ease of retrieval.