Centralized Medical Records

It is vital for doctors to maintain adequate records of patient care, but it is also important for patients to ensure that they are in one place.

There's a reason why medical records exist. Nobody can remember what kind of health care you received so far, especially with the level of extensive detail that doctors require. A doctor taking care of a patient, whether in a hospital or a clinic, must review the patient's care thus far before launching into treating the current condition. You cannot have any good care without tangible records.

Some people may forget, however, that records should also be complete in one location. If you change doctors for whatever reason, you need to make sure that the new doctor has your records. Starting a new record from scratch may be OK if you're very healthy with a thin medical chart. Otherwise, it is much easier to contact the previous health care facility and having the records copied and forwarded to the new provider.

Then there are patients who see multiple doctors at once, like a primary doctor for general care plus an outside physician for additional opinion. Make sure the primary doctor knows all aspects of care you're receiving, even those related to providers outside the usual facility. Information that is important but missing may disrupt smooth delivery of your care.

The point is that the best medical care comes from all parts of your medical records accessible from one place. Unless in a medical emergency where you end up in an unfamiliar hospital, don't expect a physician to know all about your care when some of your records are elsewhere and hard to obtain immediately. Physicians need details of your medical history to give you the best care. Only complete records can provide the information.