Organize Your Health

Keeping your medical information organized is a crucial step in protecting your family's health and can be a lifesaver during emergencies. Try this simple plan:

List the basics

Each record should include date of birth, Social Security number, driver's license number, address, phone numbers and email address. Also note if someone lives alone or with a spouse or other family members. Add background info such as occupation, marital status and religious affiliation.

All aspects of health—including general, dental and visual health—should be part of each family member's file. Be sure to include:

• Height and weight. Doctors use these stats to figure out dosages for your medication.
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• History of major health events. List all significant illnesses, pregnancies, surgeries and procedures, noting when they happened. Include all the information you can remember. Even a childhood event like chickenpox can have a bearing on your health decades later.
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• Ask for medical records that your doctors and medical facilities own; it's your legal right. You may be charged a small fee for copies, but it's worth including in your personal record.
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• Allergies. In addition to listing hay fever and other typical allergies, note any history of reaction to medicines or substances such as latex, X-ray contrast dyes or blood products.
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• Dental history. You'd be surprised how many diseases and conditions are connected to your oral health. Include cavities, braces, tooth extractions, root canals and crowns.
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• Shots. List all childhood immunizations or vaccinations, in addition to those received before visiting other countries. Include the dates, because some immunizations and vaccinations need to be updated with booster doses. If you contracted a childhood disease, such as chickenpox, instead of receiving a vaccine, note it here or with your medical history.

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• Medications. List all you're taking or have taken, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, herbs, vitamins and other supplements.
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• Test results. Include blood work, allergy tests and imaging tests, like x-rays. Include the dates of blood transfusions, biopsies and less frequent preventive procedures (such as colonoscopies) so you know when you need to schedule another one.
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• Vision information. Include the results of vision tests and any eye-related data, like your lens prescriptions.
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• Insurance information and a list of contact information for emergency contacts, doctors and dentists, and your pharmacy preferences.
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• Organ donation choices for each person.
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• Advance directives, such as a living will or healthcare proxy, if any family member has one. If not, now is a good time to have a family discussion about creating written instructions with personal wishes should your condition prevent you from speaking for yourself.

Storing your records

Storing your family's health information on a computer allows it to be easily searched and updated. Back it up on a disk or backup hard drive. Keep a printed copy too, to avoid falling victim to any computer problems. Saving a copy on a portable USB drive gives you the added flexibility to bring it with you on doctor's visits.

Some services allow you to keep your records online on secure servers. Some, like Google Health, are free; others require a subscription fee.

When your family's personal files are complete, make sure everyone knows where they are so they can find them and make updates.