Monday, July 28, 2008

Medical Records

I'm a long-time member of Medic Alert (http://www.medicalert.com). When I left NIH following my pituitary surgery for Cushing's, they told me I should get a bracelet and I took them to heart.

Over the years, some medical personnel have looked at my bracelet, but the thing I like best about it is that I always have an organized page that I can print and take to doctor appointments and to the hospital.

The page I print out includes my doctors' information, husband's and other family info, surgeries, drugs, tests, allergies and other important info.

Whenever any of this changes, I print out another batch and take them to my doctor or dental appointments. I also carry a copy when I travel, just in case.

In case of emergency, medical personnel can call Medic Alert for free and get all this information, too.

If you don't already have a system for keeping track of your medical records - and you should - you can try this:

From Google.com

Google Health puts you in charge of your health information. It's safe, secure, and free.

  • Organize your health information all in one place
  • Gather your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies
  • Keep your doctors up-to-date about your health
  • Be more informed about important health issues

Google stores your information securely and privately. We will never sell your data. You are in control. You choose what you want to share and what you want to keep private. View our privacy policy to learn more.

Take a quick tour


Google Health Tour

1. Sign up for Google Health

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With Google Health, you can store and manage all your health information in one place. And it's completely free. All you need to get started is a Google username and password.

So is it safe? Yes! We believe that your health information belongs to you, and you should decide how much you share and whom you share it with. We will never sell your data. We store your information securely and privately. Check out our privacy policy to learn more.

2. Start tracking a medical history and learn about your conditions

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You can create and save a Google Health profile using your free Google Account. You can enter as little or as much information as you want—for example, conditions, medications, and allergies. Click the Reference links to read about symptoms, causes, and treatments. You can even create additional profiles for your kids, your parents, or anyone you care about.

3. Import your medical records

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Of course you don't want to type in your entire medical history yourself. So we've partnered with hospitals, labs, and pharmacies to allow you to import your records and prescription history from healthcare providers that treat you. Linking accounts with these partners is secure. Just identify yourself by signing in at the partner's site with the username and login that you have with them, and then confirm that you want to link accounts and transfer data to Google Health.

4. View your medical history

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Google Health can help you track your medical history. Use your profile to view a summary of your medical history, or drill down to see the details close up. Having all your health information organized and centrally located will help keep your doctors up-to-date when you visit them.

5. Find out how medications might interact

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Every time you add new health data to your profile, Google Health will check for potential interactions between your drugs, allergies, and conditions. Review these helpful tips to see if there are any issues you should talk to your doctor about.

6. Make your health information work for you

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Refill prescriptions online, ask for a second opinion, or get personalized health information based on your profile. You can link to these services in the same way you link to other partners to import your medical records. Google has no financial relationship with any of these companies. You decide whether to connect with a service and share your health information with it.

7. Search for doctors and hospitals

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Search for existing or new doctors by specialty or location. You can review professional details about doctors or easily view their business locations in Google Maps. You can search for hospitals too. Add all your providers to your medical contacts list so this important information is always close at hand.

It's that simple! You can access your information anywhere, anytime by signing in to your Google Health Account.

Try it now!

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