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Tips for Organizing a Medical History
By Kathy Porter
What should you keep in a medical history?
Names of all physicians Known allergies or reactions to medications Medications including over-the-counter
medicines, vitamins and herbs Health conditions and date of diagnosis Dates of most recent exams, tests and
immunizations Dates and reasons for hospitalizations Dates and details of surgeries Dates and length of major illnesses History of smoking and use of alcohol Location of living will or medical
directives History of exposure to dangerous conditions
or hazards Family history including illnesses or
conditions of parents and siblings - Cause of death of parents and siblings and
their age at death
I’m pretty sure that I will never again find
Mother’s insurance cards inside an old purse looped
over a hanger in the darkest corner of her closet. I
hope I never again have to phone a doctor’s office
to relay information I didn’t have with me at the
appointment. But most of all, I’m confident that if
I’m not around, someone else can tell the emergency
room doctors what they need to know about my loved
one.
Kathy Porter lives in Dallas, Texas and is the
primary caregiver for her mother, Rue, who is living
with dementia and diabetes. Rue recovered from her
broken hip after surgery. After Kathy’s emergency
surgery on the same day, she fully recovered from
her illness as well. Kathy is a Human Resource
consultant for a large information technology firm.
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