My Health Information

• Choose qualified and trusted health care professionals—such as your physician, nurse practitioner, and specialists—to learn more about your condition.
• Ask about your treatment options, medications, and therapies.
• Ask how your condition might change over time – but remember, everyone’s experience is different, and your journey is yours and yours only.
• Ask your physician or specialist for websites, handouts, or videos you should use to learn about your health condition.
• Don’t be afraid to speak up – ask your health care team to explain anything that you don’t fully understand.

Record your questions and the answers in your Notes app. Make sure the people you are asking are trusted and qualified.

What is my condition called?

How does it make my mind or body work differently from others?

What are the signs and symptoms of my condition?

What symptoms might mean that I am getting sick or need help?

What are the treatments and medications I need? How do they each work?

What are the screening tests I need to monitor my condition? How often?

Do I need a special diet? Are there limits on my activities?

What else should I know about my condition?

• Ask your physician and other health care professionals for clarification of information you have collected. Get a second opinion if needed.
• Use trusted sources like Healthlink BC or well-known medical organizations’ sites.
• Check if the information is from reliable, peer-reviewed medical journals.
• Try to avoid sources that promote products or services without evidence or valid clinical studies.
• Ask about your physician’s copy of your electronic health record (EMR) -make sure the information in your EMR matches your personal health profile.

Mywell Health has created a fillable PDF for you to complete your own Health Profile. Everyone should have their own that is up-to-date and accessible in print or digitally.

• Watch the video “How to complete a Health Profile.
• Download the Health Profile fillable PDF tool and save it to your personal files.
• Open the Health Profile doc and add your name and today’s date.
• Use the tables and answer what you can.
• Ask your family member(s), health advocate or health professionals for help.
• Make a complete list of all your medications – everything you take, including over the counter drugs (OTC), vitamins, herbs, and supplements.
• Write down your side effects or reactions to any medications.
• Be honest about your substance use – including alcohol, weed, vaping, or any other recreational drug use.
• Save your completed Health Profile to the cloud-based storage you use.

A personal health profile is a detailed and up-to-date record of your health information. Learn how it can help you get safer and faster care, especially in case of emergencies.

Supports Your Self-Advocacy & Voice in Your Health

• Can help you understand your health information better.
• Gives you confidence to ask questions and speak up.
• Puts you more in control of your health decisions.
• Helps physicians understand your health quickly when you are traveling or in a new place.

Better Communication

• Physician offices, clinics, urgent care, and emergency rooms do not always share records.
• Your health profile can help health care professionals know your health history right away.
• When you are in pain, stressed, or confused, written information helps avoid delays.
• Can be very helpful for people with communication or language barriers, anxiety, or pain.
• Should include your emergency contacts, care wishes, advance directives, and organ donation information.

Medication Safety

• Keep a clear, updated list of all medicines you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, vitamins, and herbs.
• Can help prevent prescribing or mixing medicines that should not go together.

Faster Help in Emergencies

• Emergency staff can quickly see your allergies, medical conditions, and medications.
• Lists important health history items like past illnesses, surgeries, and drug reactions.
• Can help prevent repeat tests or treatments that are not right for you.

Better Team Care

• Helps family members or caregivers share the right information to care professionals.
• Allows physicians, nurses, specialists, and pharmacists to work from the same information.
• Helps track your health conditions, treatments, and changes over time.

• Update your health profile with any new information or changes.
• Save your completed changes in your health profile to your icloud storage.
• Ensure you have the icloud storage app on your phone.
• Practice using your health profile on your phone.
• Share your health profile with your physician, specialist, nurse practitioner and health care professionals supporting your care.

• Know that this is your health, your journey – you have the right to ask questions and be part of making decisions about your health.
• Talk with your parents and family about your need to learn to be involved in your health care decisions.
• Talk  with your physician and other health professionals about your choices on ways to  reduce your symptoms.
• Talk about side effects and treatments that bother you or make you worry about the future.

• Focus on taking your meds as they are prescribed even if they cause side affects you don’t like.
• Learn about how alcohol and substances can affect your health.
• Plan ahead if you are travelling, hiking, biking, or out on a boat – what do you need with you? Medications, snacks, water, emergency drugs (like an Epi pen).
• Identify friends and family members who know what you need if you become unwell?
• Explore more about making safe decisions in ‘My Feelings, Emotions & Mental Health activities’.

• Learn about the laws around personal information, privacy and confidentiality in BC.
• Share with others how you want to be involved in your health care and decision making.
• Talk to your parents, guardians, and/or family members about what it means to give informed consent.
• Learn about the Infant Act and what the age of consent is in BC.

• Learn how the health care system works in your community.
• Ask your physician or specialist what to do if your symptoms worsen or what would be considered an emergency for you.
• Understand which symptoms mean you should rest at home, call your physician. nurse practitioner or specialist, visit urgent care, or go to the hospital.
• Keep your Health Care & Professionals contact list up-to-date. Have in the list –which professional to contact for what – what type of health concerns.
• Know how to call 811 for general health advice.
• Know how to call 911 or access emergency services in life-threatening situations.

• Choose emergency contacts you trust, spend time with, and who live close to you.
• Write down their full name, phone number, and relationship to you.
• Talk with your family about who your emergency contacts are.
• Know that often your emergency contacts are usually your parents/guardians (until 19 years), or family members – who may also act as your health advocate(s).
• Choose a teacher or most important adult at school that knows about your health condition and what to do to help.
• Share your health condition, medications, and allergies and written emergency health plan with your emergency contacts.
• Consider sharing access to your personal Health Profile with them.
• Tell your emergency contacts if you are an organ donor or wear medical alert.

Remember, in case of significant changes in your condition or an emergency, you might not be able to communicate clearly. Preparing a personal emergency health plan can help First Responders, those around you, and health care professionals have the important information they need to help you quickly and safely.

Consider recording your plan in your Notes app under ‘My Emergency Health Plan’ and keeping an printed copy in your Mywell Health planner/binder next to your fridge. First Responders look first to your refrigerator for emergency information needed.

Suggested contents for your Emergency Health Plan

• Health Conditions – list of your physical and emotional health condition(s). Include the name of each condition and how it affects you.

• Medications – including all over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, herbs, supplements and vitamins. For all include name, dosage, and how often you take it.

• Allergies – to medications, food or other substances – like latex, and your allergic response.

• Internal or external medical devices (such as pumps, pacemakers, tubes, ostomies, monitors, or others). Include a description of how each device functions or a link to the relevant website for more information.

• Emergency contacts list with name, phone and relationship to you.

• Health care professionals list – especially your physician, nurse practitioner, specialists, surgeons, and pharmacy.

• Personal/ provincial health number and any relevant insurance information.

• Limitations – list any concerns for mobility, hearing, sight, communication, or other.

• Decision documents – outlining Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) / No CPR Order, Advance Care Plan, or Advance Directive. Including where documents can be found.

• Organ donation status – are you registered as an organ donor.

• Sit close to your physician, make eye contact, and let them know you have questions.
• Ask if you can record the visit or specific information being given on your phone.
• Take notes or ask someone you trust to do so—include the date, new symptoms, questions, answers, test results, diagnosis, and next steps.
• Ask for clear explanations—don’t hesitate to request simple language.
• Ask for written explanations to your questions. Ask for a print copy of the information discussed or have them email you a copy.
• Express how you want to be treated, how you want to be spoken to, and how much time you need to make decisions – it gets easier with practice.
• Ensure all your questions are answered before you leave.

• Ask your physician or nurse practitioner why you are getting a referral to a specialist.
• Talk about their location, the hospital they admit to, and length of wait times.
• Know how to follow-up on a referral.
• Ask to be placed on the cancellation list to get the earliest appointment available.

• Personal/ provincial health number on your Driver’s license or BC Services card.
• Updated health profile.
• Updated medication list (including OTC, herbs, supplements, and vitamins).
• List of questions and goals for the visit.
• Your health advocate to take notes, record instructions, and offer support.

• Create a new list for health care and other professionals.
• Record their name, phone, email, services they provide you and how best to contact them.
• If a health care professional, consider including the date of your last visit and for why you were seen.
• List your emergency contacts and all people you consider your care partners.
• Consider adding your friends, teachers, trusted adults, coaches, and others who support your lifestyle and health.
• Learn more about who should be in your contacts list for your health and lifestyle planning in ‘My People’.

• Use what works for you—phone apps like Google or iCloud Calendar, or a paper calendar that you can keep in a visible spot.
• Track appointments with date, time, and location – note if it’s in-person, phone, or video.
• Medication schedule (especially if there are any changes).
• Track any new symptoms or health changes—don’t forget to follow up and record if you are feeling better after treatments.
• List vaccinations, bloodwork, tests, checkups, and screening tests.
• Be sure to log in your wellness plans – like your physical activity schedule.
• Log your health goals and wins (like better sleep, eating well, less stress, more activity).
• Share your calendar with a care partner or health advocate if helpful.
• Use it alongside your Health Profile to see what’s working and what’s not.
• Think about colour coding your health calendar for different ‘categories’ to make it easier to spot what you’re looking for.

Check out different ways you can use the apps on your phone or iPad to help track your health.

Photo app

Take pictures of

• Personal/ Provincial Health Number (PIN)
• Medication list
• Physical symptoms like rashes, bruises, etc. over time.
• Paper requisitions for labs or other tests.

Reminder/Alarm app

• Set repeating reminders for routines like taking your meds every day and at what time, to drink water or take a break for a meal, if sitting/studying when move your body, or anything else that you think would be good for you!
• Reminders to book follow up appointments, get bloodwork, and to refill medications.

Voice Memos

• Ask for permission to record your health appointments and any health teaching.
• Record any changes in your symptoms or health. Include changes that are improving your health

• Download the Mywell Health – Health Profile and follow the steps to complete it.
• Update your health profile with any new information or changes as they occur.
• Save your completed changes in your Health Profile to your cloud storage (like iCloud or Dropbox).
• Ensure you have the storage app for your prefered cloud storage on your phone (if you have an iPhone, you probably already have the “Files” app downloaded).
• Practice accessing your health profile on your phone.
• Share your health profile with your trusted family members, physician, specialist, nurse practitioner and health care professionals in case of an emergency or in supporting your care.

• Set medication reminders with dosage included—you’ll get a reminder when it’s time to take them, and you can track when you do so, which makes it really easy if you ever need to look back.
• Track symptoms.
• Track menstrual cycle and associated symptoms (if applicable).
• Track nutrition and dietary intake.
• And more…