The use of a personal health organizer is key to your ability to take control of your health care. Given all the changes in our health care system, you must remain fully engaged in all aspects of your care. A personal medical organizer will allow you to take charge of the process.
Improve Chance of Correct Diagnosis
According to the American Society of Internal Medicine, 70% of a correct diagnosis depends on what the patient tells the doctor. The use of a personal medical organizer will help you share vital information with your physician about your symptoms. Having more data available will help your physician make better decisions. With this information-rich data at hand you may be able to provide your treatment team with the one crucial item of information that helps secure a correct diagnosis.
Reduce Duplication of Services
An actively involved and informed health care consumer will keep up to date medical information in a personal medical organizer to prevent duplication of service. Repeating tests and procedures are not only costly but they can also expose you to potential medical errors. Recent surveys indicate that duplicate or triplicate tests are often ordered. Some estimates report that one out of five tests is ordered unnecessarily.
Keeping track of vaccinations, immunizations, test results and medication history will allow for safer and much better health care; especially if you are seeing more than one physician. Sharing this information with your physician will strengthen all of your communication efforts with your providers.
Increase Your Participation in Health Care Process
Research suggests that patients who take a more active role in visits with their physician may have a greater sense of control and better health outcomes. In addition, patients who have an active working relationship with a primary care physician receive more preventative services and spend fewer days in a hospital. Keeping a detailed and continuous record of your health, and then sharing this valuable information, will allow you to get the best from your interactions with your health care team.
Taking an active role in your own medical care may be one of the most important decisions of your life. A personal medical organizer can be an excellent health management tool. Start today and use it at your next medical visit.