Efficient, Individual Medical Binders
“Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!” (1 Samuel 25:6, NIV)
We are blessed to live in countries that seek to protect our health and welfare, and while at times it may seem a bit overboard, aren’t we thankful the systems are in place? However, with all the efficiency of technology and precautionary methods, things can still be overlooked and information lost along the way.
Not too long ago, I was informed that during the process of taking my lifetime medical history on paper and having it transcribed to computer for permanent residency, someone had accidently hit the delete key and it was all lost!
Re-input the information you say? Too late. It had already gone through the shredder, so 48 years of information is now permanently gone. Sigh. If only I had created a medical binder for myself sooner, I would still have the pertinent information that I may need again.
Sickness invaded our household over a month ago and in the midst of it all, my well-intended plans to create an organized binder for each person in my household was proven itself to be a wise move. Once more, with a second chance from the last lesson, I still hadn’t actually completed the task, and once again the efficiency of the system was completely lost!
Had I done what needed to be done, a lot of frustration and heartbreak could have been avoided, and valuable time lost – because of course, you know that once time is gone, you can’t get it back!
Keep your most important information on the front page of your binder. During several visits to the local emergency department, I found myself repeating the allergies and pre-existing medical conditions over and over to each person I had to deal with. It was exhausting and frustrating when one was not feeling well; likewise, irritable and overly-stressed staff members, with an already overflowing emergency department, were demanding the information to be plunked into their overworked palms on the very spot!
A list of allergies right in the front of the binder (photocopied many times over) to hand over to during the screening process and initial assessment. It saves time for everyone involved. Make sure your name and address is on it, and most importantly, your health identification number. Inform your family members and loved ones it is there for quick and easy access in an emergency. Also, list medical conditions that they would need to be aware of! Blood type information is also a serious must, as are immunization records. Valuable and crucial time could be wasted waiting on lab results in a crisis situation!
Our well-chosen moments of practical application are equally important for bringing along side the importance of praying for God’s hand of protection over our households and loved ones. His guidance of our daily walk, and our sought direction in keeping it all together His way, reveals itself in the most unsuspecting moments.... Moments like when a doctor writes out a pharmaceutical prescription.
Keep your pharmacist updated. Thankfully, I had been diligent in my attempts to keep the local pharmacist posted on my allergies and drug reactions, as well as the vitamins that I was taking. Thankfully, she was diligent in her checking and double-checking; to take pause and ask her assistants to hold it back. She caught the oversight... a prescription for a penicillin-based medication from which I could have had a very serious, or even fatal, reaction to. Sad to say, the doctor writing it out had my file with the allergy written on it in his own hand at the time, as well as the nurse’s assessment with the allergy notation, and another third party confirmation. In spite of all the precautionary measures in place, it was delivered to the pharmacy counter and filled anyway. It was the pharmacist, who at the last handled point, was the method of God’s hand of protection.
Take the time to read the drug information sheets that your pharmacy provides. Unfortunately, the second medication prescribed was not caught, and because I had taken the time to read the health-watch computer print-out sheet with the information, before taking anything, I was saved from another possible disaster.... and that one would most likely have been fatal. The druggist should be notified immediately if something like this happens, Also take a moment to count your doses. It is not unusual to find a shortage of one or more pills in a larger dose, when they are busier that usual.
Slip those print-out sheets into a clear plastic page protector in your binder. Note in red ink your observations or concerns for future reference. It is also helpful to note what, when, and why you were taking the medications. Future planning may pay off in more ways than one.
Medical insurance information, clarifications of benefits, copies of bills and receipts of payments should also be stored in your binder. In the event of unexpected or scheduled hospital admittance, you have the information with you, right at your fingertips. Your cards of course, should still be carried with you at all times, but the photocopies should also be placed in your binder for reference. The one admitting you at the desk will be most impressed and grateful for your organization and diligence.
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. “ (3 John 1:2, NIV)
This week’s challenge: Start and bring to completion a binder of medical history for each member of your household. Take it with you to your appointments and when you make hospital visits. You can have dividers for different doctors in the back or for anything pertaining to specific conditions. Set it up in the most efficient way possible for easy retrieval of the information.
Be sure to join us for our discussion group over at Christian Women Take Root, if you haven't already!
“Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!” (1 Samuel 25:6, NIV)
Not too long ago, I was informed that during the process of taking my lifetime medical history on paper and having it transcribed to computer for permanent residency, someone had accidently hit the delete key and it was all lost!
Re-input the information you say? Too late. It had already gone through the shredder, so 48 years of information is now permanently gone. Sigh. If only I had created a medical binder for myself sooner, I would still have the pertinent information that I may need again.
Sickness invaded our household over a month ago and in the midst of it all, my well-intended plans to create an organized binder for each person in my household was proven itself to be a wise move. Once more, with a second chance from the last lesson, I still hadn’t actually completed the task, and once again the efficiency of the system was completely lost!
Had I done what needed to be done, a lot of frustration and heartbreak could have been avoided, and valuable time lost – because of course, you know that once time is gone, you can’t get it back!
Keep your most important information on the front page of your binder. During several visits to the local emergency department, I found myself repeating the allergies and pre-existing medical conditions over and over to each person I had to deal with. It was exhausting and frustrating when one was not feeling well; likewise, irritable and overly-stressed staff members, with an already overflowing emergency department, were demanding the information to be plunked into their overworked palms on the very spot!
A list of allergies right in the front of the binder (photocopied many times over) to hand over to during the screening process and initial assessment. It saves time for everyone involved. Make sure your name and address is on it, and most importantly, your health identification number. Inform your family members and loved ones it is there for quick and easy access in an emergency. Also, list medical conditions that they would need to be aware of! Blood type information is also a serious must, as are immunization records. Valuable and crucial time could be wasted waiting on lab results in a crisis situation!
Our well-chosen moments of practical application are equally important for bringing along side the importance of praying for God’s hand of protection over our households and loved ones. His guidance of our daily walk, and our sought direction in keeping it all together His way, reveals itself in the most unsuspecting moments.... Moments like when a doctor writes out a pharmaceutical prescription.
Keep your pharmacist updated. Thankfully, I had been diligent in my attempts to keep the local pharmacist posted on my allergies and drug reactions, as well as the vitamins that I was taking. Thankfully, she was diligent in her checking and double-checking; to take pause and ask her assistants to hold it back. She caught the oversight... a prescription for a penicillin-based medication from which I could have had a very serious, or even fatal, reaction to. Sad to say, the doctor writing it out had my file with the allergy written on it in his own hand at the time, as well as the nurse’s assessment with the allergy notation, and another third party confirmation. In spite of all the precautionary measures in place, it was delivered to the pharmacy counter and filled anyway. It was the pharmacist, who at the last handled point, was the method of God’s hand of protection.
Take the time to read the drug information sheets that your pharmacy provides. Unfortunately, the second medication prescribed was not caught, and because I had taken the time to read the health-watch computer print-out sheet with the information, before taking anything, I was saved from another possible disaster.... and that one would most likely have been fatal. The druggist should be notified immediately if something like this happens, Also take a moment to count your doses. It is not unusual to find a shortage of one or more pills in a larger dose, when they are busier that usual.
Slip those print-out sheets into a clear plastic page protector in your binder. Note in red ink your observations or concerns for future reference. It is also helpful to note what, when, and why you were taking the medications. Future planning may pay off in more ways than one.
Medical insurance information, clarifications of benefits, copies of bills and receipts of payments should also be stored in your binder. In the event of unexpected or scheduled hospital admittance, you have the information with you, right at your fingertips. Your cards of course, should still be carried with you at all times, but the photocopies should also be placed in your binder for reference. The one admitting you at the desk will be most impressed and grateful for your organization and diligence.
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. “ (3 John 1:2, NIV)
This week’s challenge: Start and bring to completion a binder of medical history for each member of your household. Take it with you to your appointments and when you make hospital visits. You can have dividers for different doctors in the back or for anything pertaining to specific conditions. Set it up in the most efficient way possible for easy retrieval of the information.
Be sure to join us for our discussion group over at Christian Women Take Root, if you haven't already!