It began when I saw the bag a patient was holding a few years ago. It was HUGE.
It had 27 pill bottles in it, I kid you not. The only reason I know that is because I helped pick them up after they spilled out of the bag when the patient was asked to show what pills she took..
The receptionist had asked her what medications she had, and the next thing I witnessed was pill bottles going all over the place, on the counter, some bounced on the floor, and one actually rolled over to the front door. The patient was just a wee bit embarrassed to say the least. I quickly went over to help pick everything up. We got the patient settled in the exam room and I took the bag to quickly write down what everything was for, so the doctor could look it over. I’m still surprised to this very day that I could still read my writing 20 minutes later because I was jotting everything down so fast so I could get this HUGE bag back to the patient to take back home with her.
Unfortunately, many people do that. Not only is it kinda dangerous, sometimes the pill bottles had expired and the doctor notices it first. Not a good idea, unless you want an earful from the doctor…..
After working as a float coder for many offices, I came up with an idea. I have used this one idea for several years now.
I simply call it “the list” and those whom have seen it, think it’s brilliant because you have all the information in one place. Another plus is with everything going electronic for medical records now, you can actually scan the page in at the doctor’s office and they have all the information at their fingertips when they bring up your chart on the computer.
While everybody is different, I have a few things that help doctors out the most being on a list
ALLERGIES– List all of them, also include if it runs in the family or not. Include Food, Medicines, Nuts-EVERYTHING- and put what happens when the allergy happens, like hives, rash, blisters, shortness of breath, etc. It helps the doctors. I remember working in a small office when the pharmacy called and asked if the doctor had a death wish for this one particular patient. It turned out the patient was allergic to sulfates, and that medicines the doctor had prescribed were all sulfate based. There was nothing in the patient’s chart that clued the office that there was a sulfate allergy. Nothing! I shudder to think what would have happened to that patient if the pharmacy hadn’t called asking a serious question. It saved a life.
CHRONIC CONDITIONS- what chronic conditions you have and how bad it gets, also put if the chronic conditions run in the family. Both sides of the family if it applies. Some chronic conditions are hereditary. It can clue the doctor in to how long it’s been affecting the entire family.
MEDICATIONS– Put down dosage, what time you take it or how many times a day you take it, and how long you have been on it.
SUPPLEMENTS– this is the place you put vitamins, etc. Believe it or not, sometimes vitamins counteract with some medicines. It helps the doctor know what your taking
SURGERIES– put what surgery, what age you were at surgery, etc.
CANCERS– if you’ve had cancer put it down. put age at time of diagnosis, if a family member had had cancer, put it down. Breast cancer is one that is hereditary. Prostate cancer is another one that runs in families. Having that will help the doctor assess your risk, especially when cancer runs in your family. The risk goes higher with every generation.
FOR WOMEN– date of 1st period, last mammogram and pap smear done.
SMOKING– put age started, how many packs a day smoked, also include when you quit if that applies.
BLOOD WORK– Write down when it was done, what the blood draw was for, etc. I had a childhood friend tell me one day that she got so tired of having to repeat information because nobody shared it. If you have the actual blood draw record, so much the better. Also put down if you have problems getting blood drawn– veins collapse, you bruise horribly after a blood draw, etc. I personally feel faint at the sight of blood (one reason I became a medical coder instead of a nurse) so they have to do blood draws with the smallest needle possible for me or else they’re picking me up off the floor because I fainted. I will be the first to admit I close my eyes when I have my blood drawn, I find it helps me immensely when I do that
IMMUNIZATIONS-put everything down. most doctors’ offices don’t always have updated records of immunizations.
While this isn’t a complete list by any means, it does give people a chance to get all the information in one place. Make a list for every member of the family.
Believe me, the Doctor will thank you when you hand the list to the front desk for them to scan into your record. Having that list at their fingertips will help you get the best care possible.
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