Huffpost: Here’s How To Find And Track Your Medical History

Making an appointment to address a health issue seems simple enough in theory. But as many of us know, it can actually get complicated really fast.

This is particularly true when you’re juggling multiple specialists or trying to find a general physician that’s best suited for you. Heck, it can even be challenging to recall what past conditions or issues you’ve dealt with when your doctor asks. When it comes down to it, you need to be your own case manager ― especially when it comes to keeping track of your medical history.

Gathering (and remembering!) your whole health history ― which can include vaccines, diagnoses, prescriptions and tests you’ve had ― can seem daunting. But there are actually several resources that can help you keep tabs on it.

There’s LabFinder, which is an online service that has “no fee for the patients, unlimited storage and also is a convenient appointment management system,” explained Robert Segal, a New York-based cardiologist and co-founder of LabFinder. “A patient can book a lab or radiology test, manage their test results and help to avoid surprise medical bills since patients can make sure that their insurance is in-network before they even go for the test.”

Segal said that a lab portal is “an online storage unit where centers can store test results and patients can access them anytime.” However, there can be a caveat: Segal noted that even though there are many doctors and specialists who have this service through their offices, there’s a chance they operate independently and don’t communicate with each other.

“So if a patient decides to book an X-ray on company A, and book a blood test on company B, the patient would have to access their results in two different websites or platforms,” he said.

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