“I went for a routine eye exam which included a retina scan, prescription check and exam. During the exam, the doctor clearly told me that I had UV damage in both eyes and that there were small white bumps in the whites of my eyes as a result. She urged me to always wear very good sunglasses. I heard what she said, and like most patients, it went in one ear and out the other. At the end of the visit I was filling in My Body Passport and asked her if there was anything important she suggest I write in the “notes” section. She replied “Only that I told you to always wear sunglasses!” How quickly I had forgotten. In fact, if it weren’t for My Body Passport, I might not even have asked her. I asked her the technical name for this condition, “pinguecula” she replied, and I promptly wrote it down for further reference. Without My Body Passport, this would have become another misty memory. Not only do I have this information at my fingertips, I know the doctor’s name, number, and the date of the exam…easy! ”
IF YOU ARE…
Taking Control of your Health.
In 2019 to take control of your own personal health history, you will want to use the best human 2-way information interface invented to date: a pen and some paper. A November 2018 article from the Annals of Medicine entitled “Why doctors hate their computers” stated that "...piecing together what’s important about the patient’s history is at times actually harder than when she had to leaf through a sheaf of paper records."
For the best possible health outcomes, communication is key.
“After an annual exam, with a routine blood check, I received my results and noted that my White Blood Cell Count was low, 3.54 to be exact. My doctor, of under two years, was unconcerned. But I had My Body Passport record which included three years of test results. My White Blood Cell Count was 5.32 … then 4.42 … then 3.54 … that looked like a downward trend to me, and I was, therefore, concerned. The situation is that my doctor only had 2 years worth of results because of switching insurance plans and, therefore, switching doctors. When I call to communicate my concern, they didn’t understand at first, but I was able to advocate for myself and explain why there was an issue for MY body because it was at about 5 and decreased substantially (in my opinion) to 3. Reluctantly the doctor prescribed another blood test, and it came in at 4.74, which gave me relief. The point is, that I was able to track my own information and then communicate with my doctor in a clear, concise manner which ended up with a better outcome for my health.”