Tips for preparing your summer holidays

Many families will have already started the summer break period. Occasionally, if you do not prepare on time everything you need for your trip, holidays can be more of a nightmare than a period of tranquility and amusement.

Traveling with a sick child is not always possible or easy. With this brief article we would like to make a small contribution regarding what we technically call the patient's file, being this medical information related to the patient that is convenient to tae with you when you travel.

There are several ways to create and maintain a patient file. Some people prefer paper; others, an electronic format, and others, a combination of both. Choose the most convenient format to keep all the information. The presentation should not be beautiful, but practical. It must be easy to access; you must be able to update it efficiently and to share it when necessary.

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Choose a place to keep the file that is easy to remember in order to have easy access to it during an emergency or when you going to a medical appointment with your child. Remember that all the medical information available in the hospital, reports, tests, etc. is owned by the patient, and in the case of a minor, it is owned by the adult family members. It is recommended that you request a copy of the report and tests after each visit to feed the file and to have it up to date. We never know if we will be forced to go on an unexpected trip and our clinical history is still not accessible in all European countries. That is why it is essential that the family itself creates the patient's file.

What should the patient file include?

• Patient's medical history (with the reports of the different visits, admissions and interventions).

• Diagnosis, if a detailed report is available.

• Contact information of the doctor/s who usually assist you.
• Detail of the patient’s potential allergies.
• Clinical records (surgeries, other medical conditions).
• List of medicines and administration schedule.
• If the patient participates in a clinical trial, information related to the study and the contact details of the medical team of the center in which the clinical trial medication is administered.
• Health insurance information.
• Private health insurance data (if available).
• Travel insurance with the detail of the coverages.
• Legal documents: ID, passport, etc.
• Contact details of other relatives.

If you are going far away from home it is important to remember to take the patient's file with you. It will give you peace of mind in case any emergency arises and it will contribute to a better healthcare for your child. Having a copy of all this information in "the cloud" can always help you in case you forget to take it with you.

Enjoy your holidays!