New Doctor Visit: Medication History

Sometimes it is just as well to start over with new doctors without going into past history, especially when the past history is based on misdiagnoses. But when we are still in the initial process of searching for answers to complex medical mysteries, knowledge of what has been tried, what worked, and what did not, may add some clarity to a still-murky picture.

New Doctor Visit: The Medical History

How much should be in a medical history? What details are relevant? What aren’t? Should it be done by age? Or by symptom? There are many ways to create a medical history. Here are some ideas.

The Doctor Went Dumpster-Diving (Medical Records Delivery)

Ever take your child to a new specialist with a sense of happy anticipation that this time will be different—this time the doctor will listen and help—only to be left confused at the end, wondering how everything went so horribly wrong, so fast? Ever wonder how to minimize the chance the same thing will happen with the next specialist you see?

My daughter’s GP keeps meticulous records, keeping not only all the information sent from all the other doctors, but he consolidates lab results into what he calls a “Laboratory Flow Sheet.” It has all the lab test names and normal ranges down the left side, and dates along the top. All abnormal results are printed in red. If your own child’s pediatrician does not do this, I suggest that you create your own spreadsheet. Keep track of all the lab results yourself.