Say you're out of town, and you become ill. You go to the local hospital emergency room, where you are quizzed about your medications and allergies. Unfortunately—in the confusion and stress of the moment—you forget to mention that you're allergic to penicillin until it's too late.
It's not farfetched. Visiting a hospital or a doctor can be a stressful experience. Some situations—if you're weak from illness or a trauma, or are in place you don't know—may be confusing. You may not be able to remember every important detail.
But, good health care depends on good and thorough information. Your health information—the medicines you're taking, your allergies, your family history, what illnesses or surgeries you have had—is what makes you medically unique, and can affect your treatment. The one thing you forget to mention could be the detail that might save your life.
Many Americans receive care from doctors in many places. We are a mobile society; we change towns, we change doctors, we change jobs and we change health insurers. But, your doctor's medical charts and other health information don't automatically appear at different doctors' offices or hospitals. Don't assume your doctor has all the relevant information at his or her fingertips. Usually, in fact, the doctor does not.
Because of this, it's up to you to keep track of your own health information.
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