Seeing multiple doctors? Keep your health info in one place

A cardiologist, an endocrinologist, an eye doctor once a year and your family doctor in between… When you see more than one doctor, your information gets scattered across different papers, different apps and your memory. Each doctor knows you only through their own field; putting the whole picture together is often left to you. In this post, we share a simple way to keep your doctors, medicines and appointments in one place.

Why keep your information in one place?

Different doctors may prescribe different medicines and order different tests. MedlinePlus notes that one health professional may not know about medicines another has prescribed, and suggests giving every health professional a list of all the medicines you take.

Keeping things in one place makes life easier for you and your doctors. When you're asked "Which medicine did your other doctor start?", you can answer without digging through folders. It also gets easier to notice things like the same test being ordered twice within a short time.

This setup is especially useful if you live with a long-term condition, help a loved one with their health matters, or have been referred to several specialists in a short time. To stay on top of checkup dates, you can also read how not to miss checkups with a long-term condition.

This isn't about building a medical file. The goal is to carry a short, up-to-date summary of your own health information.

Step 1: Make a list of your doctors

The first step is writing down who you see. Include the doctors you don't see often, too; a specialist you visit once a year is still part of the picture.

• Name and specialty: For example, "Dr. A., cardiology".
• Practice and contact: The hospital or clinic, and the number you call to book.
• Why you go: One sentence is enough, like "blood pressure checkup" or "thyroid follow-up".
• Last and next visit: The date you last went and when you were told to come back.

Feel free to write specialties in words that make sense to you. Phrases like "heart doctor" or "diabetes doctor" help you remember at a glance who follows what. If the same doctor works at different places, note which address you see them at.

It helps to treat one of your doctors, usually your family doctor, as the place where everything comes together. Telling them what your other doctors said means someone sees the whole picture.

Step 2: Organize your medicine list by doctor

If you see more than one doctor, your medicine list becomes your most important document. Next to prescription medicines, add over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements. For each medicine, write down:

1. Medicine name: As it appears on the box, with the generic name if there is one.
2. Who prescribed it: So you know who to ask when a question comes up.
3. What you take it for: A short note in your own words.
4. Since when: The start date or the approximate month.
5. Latest change: If a doctor changed or stopped the medicine, note it with the date.

Take this list to every appointment and show it to each of your doctors. Show it to your pharmacist too when you start a new medicine; in 8 questions to ask your pharmacist we explain how to prepare for that conversation. The list isn't an instruction on how to take your medicines; it's a record of what your doctors told you. If you're thinking about a change, ask your doctor or pharmacist first.

Step 3: Keep appointments and notes together

When appointments are spread across different hospital systems, it's easy to miss one. Seeing all your checkups in one calendar also helps you avoid three appointments piling up in the same week.

• Before each appointment, write down what you want to ask. 7 notes to take to your doctor's appointment is a good place to start.
• After the appointment, jot down what the doctor said: any changes, any new tests, and when the next checkup is.
• Flag important information from one doctor for your other doctors too, for example "tell the cardiologist: the endocrinologist changed the dose".

Bring your lab and imaging results into the same system. Besides keeping the result itself, writing down which doctor ordered it and who you discussed it with makes things easier when another doctor asks about the same result. Interpreting results is your doctor's job; your note is just a record of when, who ordered it and what was discussed.

If you're seeing a new specialist for the first time, summarizing your history on one page helps; a one-page health history summary for a specialist walks you through it step by step.

Small habits to keep your information up to date

A list only helps when it's current. MedlinePlus also suggests bringing your questions, symptoms and all the medicines you take to appointments in writing, and taking notes during the visit. A few small habits make this easier:

• Five minutes after the visit: Finish your notes before you leave, while the details are fresh.
• A monthly review: Are the medicines on the list still right? Is a stopped medicine still on it?
• Ask when something's unclear: If what one doctor says seems to conflict with another, don't decide on your own; ask both.
• Check the boxes: When you pick up a new box from the pharmacy, see whether the name and look match your list; if not, ask your pharmacist. You may have been given a generic version; note that on your list too.
• Include someone close: If you like, tell someone you trust where your list is; it can help in an emergency.

If you notice a new or worsening symptom, contact your doctor. In a serious situation such as chest pain, shortness of breath or confusion, call your country's emergency number right away.

Keeping your doctors and medicines together with Oveluni

Oveluni is a personal tracking app where you can keep your medicine plans, daily logs and checkups in one place. Seeing medicines and checkups from different doctors together makes it easier to prepare before an appointment and add your notes afterwards. Oveluni doesn't diagnose, doesn't check drug interactions and doesn't calculate doses; for those questions, your doctor and pharmacist are always there for you. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. MedlinePlus: Talking with your doctor
2. MedlinePlus: Taking multiple medicines