The OneRecord Blog

This health history is a thorough timeline of all of your child’s vaccines. But why are these records important?

4 Reasons Why Your Child Needs an Immunization History

There are many occasions when parents are required to provide their child’s immunization history. This health history is a thorough timeline of all of your child’s vaccines. But why are these records important? And when do you need your child’s immunization history? In short, immunizations protect your child from diseases such as tetanus and polio. When you’re protecting your child, you’re also protecting their friends and your community from the spread of these diseases. Here are four reasons why it is important to have your child’s immunization history handy. 

Whether your child is the new kid in school or the new goalie on the soccer team, most likely, you will be asked to provide an immunization history. This, of course, is to protect your child and the other children at school or on the field. It would be a shame to end the soccer season early with an outbreak of chickenpox, so be sure to have those immunization records ready to submit before kickoff. 

Some diseases are more prevalent in certain parts of the world. Because of this, it is especially important to make sure your child’s immunization records are current before going to camp or traveling abroad. There will be lots of children from all over the place, bringing their own germs from their own hometowns, and your child is doing the same! To protect everyone in Bunk 3, keep your child’s immunization history nearby. 

If your child switches doctors, it is important to make sure you have their immunization history to give to their new healthcare provider. Usually, these records can be easily transferred between offices, but if you have them yourself, you can streamline the process and avoid any miscommunication or loss of information. If a doctor doesn’t have your child’s most recent immunization information, they may be required to give a vaccination again. Although receiving an additional vaccination isn’t harmful, it’s simply unnecessary. Getting shots can be unpleasant for children (and adults sometimes, too!), so keeping your child’s immunization history up-to-date and within reach can avoid redundant vaccines.

Every member of your family should have their health records accessible. It is simple to keep these records organized digitally with tools like OneRecord. Your child’s immunization history is a crucial part of their health story that they will need for their entire lives. The future of their health and their healthcare begins with you. Your child’s birth history and immunization records are often their first pieces of health information. By having these accessible and organized for them, you are setting up your child for a lifetime of autonomy over their healthcare. 

For parents, grandparents, and all the relationships in between, it can really helpful for family members to have and share access to medical records and family health history.

When To Share Your Medical Records with Your Family

Your personal medical records are exactly that: they are “yours” and they are “personal.” They contain much of your most sensitive information, and it would make sense that they would remain private for your eyes and your eyes only. You’re never required to share your medical records with anyone outside of your healthcare provider. And according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (better known as HIPAA), your healthcare providers aren’t allowed to share this information either. However, there are some instances when it can be helpful for your family members to have access to medical records and health history whether it’s for your health or for theirs. 

Your own health and your child’s health will be forever connected. Your health history is part of what becomes their health future. To ensure that they are receiving the best possible care, they need to know the full scope of their family’s health history. When your child grows up and is asked about conditions that run in their family, they should have your health records to turn to for that information. Is it hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism that runs in our family? Information like that should be included in your health records, so your child knows exactly where to turn when they’re asked. 

No one wants to think about the worst case scenario, but it is important to plan for it. Sharing your medical records with a spouse, a parent, or an adult child can ensure that you are receiving the proper care in case of an emergency. Even the most basic information such as your allergies or medications and dosages can play a huge role in your care. If family members are aware of this information beforehand, they can advocate for you at a time when you might not be able to advocate for yourself. According to HIPAA, there are some cases when doctors can consult with your family members to make a decision regarding your care. If your family already has a knowledge of your health history, they can make more informed decisions to guarantee that you’re getting the treatment that you need.

Aging brings so many gifts: life experience, deeper relationships, perspective. But it can also bring additional medications, procedures, doctors, specialists, and other health events. This can be a lot to keep track of! Compiling and organizing all of your personal health information can be simplified with tools like OneRecord, which will consolidate all of your records from all of your healthcare providers. OneRecord also makes it easy to share this information with trusted family members who play a role in your healthcare. Once all of this information is cataloged and easily accessible, you can get back to enjoying the aging process, because there are so many things to enjoy.

Learn what an EHR or Electronic Health Record really is.

What is an Electronic Health Record?

Think back to a time long ago. A time before cell phones. A time before the internet. A time when doctors kept their patients’ records in physical files on actual pieces of paper. Seems pretty old-fashioned, doesn’t it? Now almost everything is digital, including medical records. Electronic Health Records (EHR) have been a key part of the digital transformation of healthcare. Read on to find out what EHRs are, their benefits, and where you can find yours. 

An EHR contains a physical medical chart but it’s digitized. While the medical chart is its biggest component, it also has features such as electronic prescribing, orders tracking, flowsheets, interfaces to lab companies, immunization registries, and more. Needless to say, an EHR has a lot of elements, but the digital medical record is what we are focusing on here.

Doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare providers will use an EHR software to compile and store your medical information. During a doctor’s appointment, your doctor usually asks you questions, performs tests, or collects other types of data. With an EHR, instead of writing this information down, they’ll enter it into a computer or tablet. An EHR will contain a patient’s medical history so doctors can get the full picture of a patient’s health. This history can include past treatments, medications and dosages, allergies, family health history, lab results, and more. 

There are many benefits of EHRs for both patients and providers. Because the records are digital, it’s easy to share them with multiple providers. This way, if you switch doctors or go to a specialist, you can forward your medical records from one provider to another. Also, an EHR is much easier to update than a paper medical chart, so your information is always up-to-date. This ensures that your doctor and any future doctors are getting the most recent information about your health as well as a complete history of your health, so they can prescribe the best course of treatment. Because all of the records are electronic, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers don’t have to spend time digging through files to find your information, making appointments more efficient. Additionally, more than one provider can access your record at one time. In the days of paper medical charts, if your doctor had the chart in the exam room, the nurse wouldn’t be able to see it until your doctor was done. 

Where can I find my Electronic Health Records?

One way to access your medical record from your doctor’s EHR would be by contacting your doctor’s office directly. According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you have the right to all of your own medical records. This means that your doctor must provide the information if you request it. 

But what if you have multiple doctors? Or what if you want your child’s medical records? Fortunately, tools like OneRecord make this process considerably easier. OneRecord is connected to most doctors and health systems and can help you get your records almost instantly without ever leaving home. Once you digitally connect, OneRecord consolidates and organizes all of your information. With OneRecord, you have your entire medical history at your fingertips - on any device. 

You should know what an EHR or Electronic Health Record really is.

The OneRecord Blog

4 Reasons Why Your Child Needs an Immunization History

When To Share Your Medical Records with Your Family

What is an Electronic Health Record?

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