Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Your Personal Medical Summary

Your Personal A-Fib Medical Summary

by Patti J. Ryan

Doctors appreciate knowledgeable, informed, and prepared patients. Each doctor will probably ask you much the same questions. For efficiency, prepare your ‘Personal A-Fib Medical Summary’ and include a copy with each packet of medical records you send to doctors.

In their special report Atrial Fibrillation: The Latest Management Strategies, Drs. Calkins and Berger suggest before your appointment that you prepare answers to the following questions about your Atrial Fibrillation.

• What particular symptoms are bothering you?
• When did you first begin to experience these symptoms?
• Did you start taking any new vitamins, supplements, or prescription drugs before the onset of symptoms?
• Are these symptoms paroxysmal (occasional or intermittent, beginning and stopping on their own), or persistent (present all the time, or lasting at least a week at a time continuously)?
• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being little of no bother and 5 being severely bothersome, how would you rate your symptoms?
• Is there anything that appears to worsen your symptoms?
• Is there anything that appears to lessen your symptoms?

Include other pertinent information such as names and contact information for doctors you see regularly and why. Type up your summary and attach a copy to each set of medical records you send to doctors. And add a copy to your three-ring binder.

Healthcare trend: ‘The Personal Health Record’ (PHR)

There is growing momentum to encourage consumers to take another health-related step: to maintain their own health records.

The idea behind the personal health record (PHR) is that the more consumers know about their health, the more control they will take over it and the healthier they will be. PHRs also encourage consumers to collect and share more health-related information with each of their providers. For this reason, healthcare providers, employers, insurers, vendors, and the federal government are all interested inpromotingPHRs.

What is a personal health record (PHR)?

Shoe pocket by Vital ID

Credit card-size USB by ER Card

A personal health record (PHR) is a means of storing, managing, and sharing your personal medical information. PHRs can be paper based or electronic. Electronic records can be kept on different media, including personal computers, “smart” cards, thumb drives, CDs, or web-based applications.

Of the two types, paper records may be easier to secure, but electronic records are more convenient.

If you are considering a PHR to maintain your health records, look for a list of resources and a ‘Quick Guide to Creating a PHR‘ from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), a national non-profit professional association.

Also see our article, Your Portable Medical Information Kit for a sampling of small, easy to store and carry USB devices for the print and digital versions of your PHR info.

References for this article

Calkins, H, Berger, R. Atrial Fibrillation: Management Strategies. Scientific American Special Health Reports. Last accessed August 24, 2015. URL: http://tinyurl.com/Calkins-A-Fib-Mgmt-strategies

Posted October 2014

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Last updated: Monday, August 24, 2015