Ngozi Osuagwu, MD, Women's Health Center, Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth
A recent assignment given to my daughter got me thinking. Her assignment was to create a family tree and try to find out whether any diseases, genetic or otherwise ran in the family. In my practice, I have found that most of my patients have very sketchy or limited personal and family medical history. It struck me that this holiday season was as good a time as any for individuals to try to collect and collate family medical history. This is because more than at any other time during the year, most families will congregate to celebrate the holidays together.
When she asked me, I simply went to my computer and reviewed the medical history that I had completed recently. As a physician, the value of such information was not lost to me, and just before a surgery I had in the summer, I had typed up and saved a detailed medical history, which I shared with my physicians. In caring for patients, the value of such medical information about the family is of enormous value. Having such information compiled and readily available is actually an excellent idea. You will be surprised about how happy it can make your doctor and it actually saves time during your visits, which can be put to use discussing more important matters rather using up most of the time trying to remember aspects of your medical history.
Buy a small journal or create an electronic file on your computer to document your medical history. It is preferable to do it with a computer, but you should not be deterred from doing this exercise just because you do not have access to one. The computer allows you to output the information easily for whoever has need of the information. These document should include, but not limited to the under-listed bits of information
Medical history:
o List all medical problems and date/s of diagnosis and recommendation by the treating doctor, e.g., high blood pressure diagnosed in 2000. Taking Avapro 150 mg once a day. Exercise and low salt, low fat diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
Surgical history:
o List all surgeries and reasons for them. Also list hospitalization and dates, e.g., Total Abdominal Hysterectomy performed for large fibroid tumor at Doctors Hospital in March 2000
Allergies: List all food and medication allergies and the reactions to the allergens, e.g., Penicillin – rashes and difficulty breathing
Medications: Name all medications (both prescribed and over the counter) with doses. Also list any herbal supplements and vitamins
Obstetric and Gynecologic History:
o Date of last Pap Smear and results
o Date of last Mammogram and results
o All sexually transmitted infections
o Date of deliveries and complications, if any
Family History:
o Parents, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, and Uncles. Provide as much detail as possible about ailments. If they are deceased, please provide cause of death and age at the time of death.
If you are able to document the above items about yourself in the order outlined, you have put yourself in a much better position to get excellent care from your physician. The time spent doing this is a good investment on your way to getting and maintaining your well being, and as mentioned earlier, this is a good time of the year to engage in this activity with family members likely to be around. Keep happy and healthy. Good luck and the Almighty’s blessings in the coming year.
