Medical History & Personal Health Records
This post first appeared on Kat’s blog, Kindism, in 2013 as part of a series on health care for Christian Scientists and former Christian Scientists. It’s reposted here with minor edits and updated links.
When you visit a doctor, dentist, optometrist, OBGYN, or any other medical professional, they’re likely going to ask you for your medical history, and ask about your family medical history: childhood illnesses, family illnesses, ages, births, deaths (and their causes), surgeries, etc. To streamline this process you may want to start a personal health record.
In the end, your health information is likely going to be scattered across many different providers and facilities (dental offices, optometrists, primary care physicians, assorted specialists depending on your needs). Keeping your own complete, updated and easily accessible health record means you can keep track of everything and:
- Knowledgeably discuss your health with healthcare providers
- Provide information to new caregivers
- Have easy access to your health information while traveling
- Access your information when your doctor’s office is closed
- Record your progress toward specific health-related goals
- Refer to physician instructions, prescriptions, allergies, medications, insurance claims, etc.
- Track appointments, vaccinations, and other wellness services
It could also be useful in an emergency, when the hospital turns to your spouse, next of kin, or roommate and asks for some idea of your medical history, allergies, etc.
Most doctors’ offices and hospitals now have an online patient portal where you can see your visit notes, test results, and vaccinations, and you have a legal right to a copy of your records. HealthIT.gov explains how to get your health records.
Starting from nothing
Of course, having been a “good” Christian Scientist for so many years it is quite likely you don’t have any immunization records, or any medical records of any sort. Talking to your parents often yields nothing; they’re good Christian Scientists as well, and things like illness, age and death are totally unreal, so why keep track of any of it? If you’re lucky you might be able to find a non-CS relative to ask about family medical history, but that can be tricky.
For vaccines, the CDC suggests places to look in Staying Up to Date with Your Vaccine Records. If you can’t find any, our guide to getting vaccinated covers catching up as an adult.
MedlinePlus has a collection of articles on family history: why it matters, and how to gather it.
What they’ll ask
If you have any questions about their questions, ask. Be upfront about your Christian Science upbringing and (possible) lack of medical history and family medical history. Our post on how to tell your medical provider about your CS background has scripts and a sample letter. The most common questions usually include:
- Date of birth
- Ethnicity
- Medical conditions
- Allergies
- Injuries
- Surgeries
- Vaccinations
- Current medications
- Mental health conditions, including alcoholism or other substance abuse
- Pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects or infertility
- Age when each condition was diagnosed
- Lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise and tobacco use
- For deceased relatives, age at the time of death and cause of death
The list may vary a little depending on what sort of doctor you are seeing. They may also ask if you’ve ever had a long list of symptoms, and are also likely to ask about the health of your siblings, parents and other relatives (usually grandparents). The more you can tell them, the better.
Medicine has come a long way in the last century, and some of the terms used in our grandparents’ time are no longer in use and are open to interpretation. Some things were simply Not Talked About, so that can be a hindrance as well (this isn’t just a Christian Science problem, although we add our own unique level of denial to it all). Do yourself (and your family) a favor and start keeping track.
Please remember, this is intended to offer people support, ideas, and resources. It is not in any way intended to be a substitute for medical advice or care. Please see a health care professional if you have concerns, especially if your concern is serious!