Personal, Portable, Health Records: Rationale & How To Make Them

Rationale 1.  Probably the most universally-readable, digital medium is the plain old text file which is more accessible than even the generic type-A pdf. 2.  Other than in paper form, a text file stored on a simple USB 2.0 flash drive makes the file easy to carry on a keyring or on a lanyard worn around the neck. 3.  Since you created your own health record that you wear or carry with you, you can update it as you need to. And because you wrote it on your own computer, the information essentially is for your eyes only. 4.  A USB 2.0 flash drive containing only a text file can be loaded and read on a computer of any platform such as Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX or a Linux distribution. Now you can safely assume that a computer in a hospital, clinic or doctor's office can responsibly access your health record that you carry with you. It's now ready when needed.

How To Make Them 1.  Visit an office store such as Staples and purchase a small flash drive--a cheap one with a small storage capacity. While there purchase a lanyard to go around your neck. So that the flash key wouldn't come loose, I cut the metal end of my lanyard off and instead used a small split ring to attach to both the flash drive and the lanyard. You can do what you are comfortable with. 2.  Use a sticky label trimmed to fit the flash drive that includes your name and the word "Medical" on it. Be sure that the label is at least 3/8 of an inch from the business end of the flash drive so it doesn't impede proper insertion into a USB slot. 3.  Download and personalize this medical template: medical.txt remembering to save it on your computer. Later you may wish to put additions or modifications on it. 4.  Copy your personalized medical.txt file to your flash drive...and remember to keep it with you.