It's So Simple, It's Scary

There is a lot of buzz lately around personal health records maintained by patients and families, such as the projects underway by Google and Microsoft. I stumbled upon a low tech version – with a twist – that is worth taking a look at, and looks like a very easy and workable solution.

“My Family Care Manager”, was developed by Edward De La Loza, LCSW, a social worker in California. It’s really a simple concept, but the forms are organized and presented in a readable and easy to manage format. It seems to be designed principally for family caring for elderly people, but the concepts are applicable to anyone. The chart listing the medication is simple enough and easy to read.

The concept is to put all this in a binder, use it and for the patient and caregiver to take it when they go to an appointment, hospitals and so on.

The other interesting idea was that this information, if stored on a computer, could also be backed up on a thumb drive and carried at all times. I think it’s safe to assume that in a situation where time is essential, there will be a computer nearby with a USB port that can access the information stored here, if the binder is not available for some reason. When I saw this, I was taken aback by how simple and “obvious” this idea was – yet I would guess that most people never think of it. I rarely use a thumb drive, so I wouldn’t think of the possible uses necessarily.

For many people, tools such as My Family Care Manager help people to manage the sea of information thrown at them, and helps patients and their caregivers to get important information to the next person in the health care chain.