Imagine setting aside time in your busy schedule to get that blood test done... only for your doctor to say you need to do it all over again.
No, there wasn't anything wrong with your results. Your new doctor just couldn't access them.
Sounds frustrating, right? Well, it happens more often than you'd expect...
According to a 2024 federal survey, 1 in 10 patients who visited a healthcare provider reported having to repeat a test or procedure because their previous results were unavailable.
And that's despite the billions of dollars we've spent digitizing medical records.
You'd think that in this day and age, doctors could easily access everything they need to know about your health. But unfortunately, that's not always the case.
Your blood tests might be stored in one system... your scans in another... and your full medication history somewhere else. When those pieces fail to come together, your doctor won't have the full picture.
The good news is that there are some steps you can take to keep yourself from being at the mercy of your doctors' computer systems.
How to Take Charge of Your Own Medical Data
Different hospitals, specialists, and laboratories may use different electronic-record systems. And while these systems are becoming more capable of sharing information, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that your doctor can immediately access every relevant detail.
In fact, according to federal surveys from 2017 to 2022, about 1 in 5 patients had to bring previous test results – like MRIs and X-rays – to a medical appointment themselves.
But here's the thing... Even if your doctors can exchange records, it still doesn't hurt to have your own copies.
Having the important details right at your fingertips can make appointments easier – especially when you're seeing a new specialist or helping to care for a loved one.
Here are three simple ways to take control of your medical records so that the necessary information is there, right when you need it...
1. Make yourself a medical "cheat sheet." Think of it as your health resume of sorts. Focus on providing information another doctor would need to see to quickly understand your health status. That includes listing things like major medical conditions, surgeries, current medications and doses, drug allergies, and emergency contacts. Keep everything short and sweet so that someone can find the most important details at a glance.
Your smartphone even has a built-in place to store this cheat sheet. On an iPhone, open the Health app, tap on your profile picture, and select Medical ID. Android users can look at the Personal Safety app, which functions similarly. (The exact steps vary by device.)
This lets you store important health details and emergency contacts. You can also choose to make this information accessible from your phone's lock screen without someone needing your passcode. This could save your life if you're ever unable to speak for yourself during an emergency. Just remember to update your information whenever your conditions or medications change.
2. Save the test results that tell the full story. For instance, if your cholesterol or blood sugar has been creeping upward, looking at previous results can help your doctor recognize the trend. So don't rely entirely on your memory.
Download important laboratory results, hospital discharge summaries, any operative and pathology reports from surgeries or biopsies, and imaging results from your patient portal.
By the way, imaging facilities are required by federal law to provide diagnostic images and radiology reports via digital downloads or physical media (like a CD) within 30 days of your request.
3. Make your records easy to find. Now that you know which records to save, where should you put them? A three-ring binder works well, but you can also use digital tools to make the job a bit easier...
Start with your doctor's online patient portal. If your healthcare providers use MyChart, for example, you may be able to link accounts from different hospitals and doctors' offices to see information in one place.
You can also use smartphone apps to help keep everything together...
Apple's Health app lets iPhone users download medical records from participating healthcare providers. Android users can try CommonHealth, a free app that collects records from supported providers.
Just keep in mind that these tools might not capture every record. I'd still also keep a paper copy of your emergency medical summary somewhere accessible.
Now, imagine trying to piece together medical records not just for one person, but for millions...
That's a challenge faced by medical researchers who are looking for new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases.
For example, a patient's genetic information might be stored in one laboratory... while treatment history is in a hospital's records... and results of that treatment are in an entirely different place.
Bringing all those pieces together could help scientists spot patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. And with AI, researchers have a powerful new tool to analyze all that information.
But there's a problem: AI is only as useful as the data it can access.
That's why I believe the companies helping to bring medical information together deserve a closer look. Last month in Prosperity Investor, my team and I examined a major government-backed scientific initiative that's bringing new attention to this opportunity. We also uncovered a company that has been building something increasingly valuable in this age of medical AI. (Not a subscriber to Prosperity Investor? Give it a try for a month.)
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? My newest book reveals ways to combat cognitive decline.
- Something different: Biologists catch a "one in a million" yellow fish in New York.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
November 12, 2026