What is my Medical History?
Slightly different from your Health Story, that we discussed in Part 2 of this series, your medical history gives your doctor a complete historical account of your health. Your complete medical history will include:
A list of your conditions/diagnoses
A list of medications
A list of previous surgeries
A list of previous hospitalizations
A list of immunizations
A list of allergies
Doctor visit summaries and notes
Hospital discharge summaries
Test results (such as blood work, urine tests, X-rays, MRIs, bone density scans, mammograms and prostate screenings)
A social health history (such as living situation, diet and exercise, and employment situation)
A family health history (particularly parents, siblings and grandparents)
While your doctor will receive the majority of this information when you share your medical records with their office – to be discussed in the next part of this series – it is still important, as a patient, to: 1) understand the importance of your medical history as a part of your overall medical journey, and 2) identify any errors or additions in your medical history.
Preparing to Fill Out a Medical History Form
Almost all of us have experienced sitting in the waiting room for a new doctor’s appointment, being handed a new patient medical history form, and having no memory of the details required to complete the form.
Part of preparing yourself for success as you get read for a doctor’s appointment is creating a cheat sheet of information you may be asked for:
Medications
Information you may be asked for: Medication name, dosage, start date, times taken per day.
How to prepare: Look through the packaging of your medications (bottles, boxes, etc.) – prescriptions, over-the-counter, and supplements – and make a list of the key information you will need to provide.
Conditions
Information you may be asked for: Condition Name, Date of diagnosis, Current/Not Active
How to prepare: Look through previous medical records. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Surgeries and Hospitalizations
Information you may be asked for: Type, Date, Location/Facility
How to prepare: Look through previous medical records. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Vaccinations
Information you may be asked for: Type, Date of last vaccination
How to prepare: Look through previous medical records or vaccination cards. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Health Screenings
Information you may be asked for: Type (cholesterol, colonoscopy, mammogram, pap smear, prostate exam, etc.), Date, Location/Facility, Normal/Abnormal
How to prepare: Look through previous medical records. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Allergies
Information you may be asked for: Type, Allergic Reaction
How to prepare: Look through previous medical records. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Women’s Health
Information you may be asked for: Date of Last Menstrual Cycle, Age of First Menstruation, Age of Menopause, Total Number of Pregnancies, Number of Live Births
How to prepare: Keep note of your period – sometimes an app or a calendar note can help. You can also look through previous medical records. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
Social History
Information you may be asked for: Occupation, Employer, Marital Status, Number of Children, Tobacco Use (# of packs per day, # of years), Alcohol Use (# of drinks per week), Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Activity, Frequency of Exercise, Number of Hours of Sleep per Night
How to prepare: Keep contact information for your employer or school handy, in case it is requested. Keep track of your diet, exercise, and substance use.
Family History
Information you may be asked for: Family Relationship for Blood Relatives (like mother, brother, aunt), Type of Health Condition, Alive/Dead
How to prepare: Call your relatives, or ask them in person about your family health history. Let your relatives know you’re not being nosy, but just want to gather details that could keep you and other family members healthy. You can offer to share what you learn, so that everyone can benefit from your research. You may want to start by asking about common family health problems like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney or liver disease, and stroke. But it’s also important to know if you have a history of any rare conditions in your family. Ask about if there is a family history of autoimmune disease and if there have been any rare disease diagnoses.
Care Team
Information you may be asked for: Specialist Type, Name, Last Visit
How to prepare: Visit your doctors’ websites or portals to gather contact information like phone or fax numbers. Look through previous medical records to find appointment dates. Start with your patient portals, and if that doesn’t work, go back to hard copy records you requested from your physicians.
How Chronius Can Help
Your health history cheat sheet is automated when you are a Chronius patient. We pull together all of your medical data – from patient portals and hard copy records – and create one document you can review with all of your relevant health history, making filling out in-office forms a breeze! All you need to do is provide us with your portal logins and/or upload your records, and we’ll take it from there.
Interested in learning more and signing up for our waitlist? Visit chroniushealth.com and claim your spot today.
