Keeping an updated medical file is a helpful and important habit for health maintenance. Whether it is paper or electronic, a patient file can save tremendous amounts of time, energy, tax dollars, and frustration. Not only will a personal medical file be helpful for your current health care team, but it will also help with transitions in care, such as when seeing a new provider. Below is a list of what may be useful to include in this file. Please feel free to add documents to the file as you see fit and make this record your own:

1. Basic Information

   1. Date of Birth

   2. Address

   3. Primary Phone Number

   4. Emergency Contact

   5. Insurance Information

2. Medical History

   1. Medical Conditions & Dates

   2. Past Audiograms

   3. Healthcare Team

      1. Name, Address, Phone Number, Fax Number

   4. Allergies & Reactions to Medications

   5. Past Surgical History (Date, Location, Complications)

   6. Imaging CDs (CTs, MRIs, X-Rays) & Reports

3. Medication List

   1. Name

   2. Indication

   3. Dose

   4. Frequency

   5. Start & End Date

   6. Route (Oral, Spray, G-Tube, etc.)

   7. Pharmacy & Fax Number

4. Social History

   1. Occupation

   2. Loud Noise Exposures

   3. Smoking History

   4. Alcohol Intake

   5. Drug History

5. Legal Documents

   1. Advanced Directives