Creating a Personal Health Journal (Health Diary)

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A personal health journal (health diary) is a record of your health. You keep the health journal yourself. The journal helps you keep track of every aspect of your health.

Path to well being

A personal health journal is an easy way to keep track of your health. Keeping track of your health history helps you to be an informed patient. Knowledge allows you to take more control of your healthcare. A personal health journal also helps you stay healthy. Take your health journal to your healthcare provider’s appointments. This provides your healthcare provider with exact information about your health.

Below is an example of a personal health journal.

Date	Illness/Injury
	Hospitalizations
	Surgeries
	Medications/Supplements
	Emergency Contacts
	Family Medical History
	Immunizations

A health journal should keep track of your overall health. You can customize your journal to include any information that you want. Some of the things you should include are:

• Illness
• Injuries
• Hospitalizations
• Surgeries
• Allergies
• Medicines, vitamins or supplements that you are taking and how often you take them
• Immunization

When you fill in your health history, be sure to include the dates. For example, if you were hospitalized, write down the date that you were admitted and the date you were discharged. You can also include notes on how you were feeling.

Things to consider

It’s best to include as much health information as possible.

If you don’t have access to your medical records, you can still record general information. If you’ve had surgeries or illnesses in the past, write those down. You don’t need to know the exact dates. Once you’ve filled in as much information as you can, start recording your current health history.

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.