How to Organize Your Family Medical Records

Keeping your life and personal information organized is important.  Your medical records are perhaps the most important documents to keep in order.  Organizing your records can seem like an intimidating task, but it needn’t be with a little preparation.

First, you need to visit an office supply store and purchase a large, three-ring binder to organize your medical records.  Ensure that it has dividers in it to help you keep your information separated.  Use paperclips or individual colored folders for any loose papers.

You now need to collect and organize all the contact information for your family’s medical providers, including doctor’s office phone numbers, doctor’s names, and office addresses.  Put this all into one section at the very front.

You need to organize a calendar in another section of the binder, showing appointments for each person.  If you have a lot of appointments or many family members, it might be easier to organize with one separate calendar per person.

In another section, organize and track all of your prescriptions, what they were for, how many refills each had and what pharmacy filled the prescription.  If possible, put the pharmacy’s contact information with each entry, as well.

You should also have a section to organize copies of the medical records from all the doctors and clinics that your family visits.  At each office or clinic, request that the doctor or nurse provide you with a copy of the visit transcript or report, and then file that copy in your binder.  You can also make a section for copies of x-rays and other diagnostic imaging.

Remember to update the information regularly and to keep it organized in case of emergency.