Can you name all of your child’s medications, their doses and side effects off the top of your head? How about naming all of your child’s physicians and their phone numbers? With all of the different health-care providers, medications, allergies and insurance rules, it is easy to get overwhelmed keeping track of your child’s healthcare. There are ways to stay organized and sane without micromanaging every detail of your child’s life.
According to Liz Smith, a veteran juvenile arthritis parent and AJAO volunteer, staying organized is not only essential to managing your child’s care, but it also keeps your child’s medical team running like a well-oiled machine.
“Having organized medical records at home allows you to easily access all of the information you need for the different physicians and other health professionals who make up your child’s medical team,” Smith says. “It also makes life easier should you need to change or add members to your team.”
When it comes to organization, you already know what’s in it for you – your sanity and peace of mind! But, what’s in it for your child? “Staying organized helps with a child’s compliance to their treatment plan,” says Lawrence Zemel, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Hartford. “Compliance leads to better outcomes for your child.”
Wondering how to get started? Here are some tips on the best ways to get organized.
Make organization a family affair
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that you’re not the only one who knows your system of organization. Get your child and spouse or other family members involved in the record keeping as much as possible. It’s especially important for your child to be involved once he or she starts going into the exam room alone. This will help develop your child’s independence and self-management skills.
Create a binder
It is much easier to keep your child’s medical records in order when they’re all in one place. To keep your child’s records portable, yet still organized, devote a three-ring binder with dividers and plenty of space to grow.
If you’re having trouble deciding what’s important to keep, Smith suggests keeping and filing your child’s lab reports, immunization records, X-rays and other imaging reports and physical and occupation therapy reports. Also, keep notes from your child’s medical team, as well as a current chart of medications, prescription and supplemental. Include information such as dosage, reorder point, cost and side effects.
