Keep all necessary information in a folder that you take to all of your appointments. Thinking about any appointments that you have been to and have scheduled: Were there documents that were needed (e.g. blood test results)? Were there documents that were given to you (e.g. pathology (blood or biopsy) request forms, discharge medication lists)?
Look at the list below and tick the ones that you would like to include in your / your family member’s patient file
Important Contact Information
See Important Contacts sheet ( PDF file, Word document) that could be included.
- GP contact information
- Specialist contact information
- Oncology/ Cancer ward
- Oncology/ Cancer Nurse Coordinator
- Hospital record number (UR: number)
Medical History
See the Sample of a Summary Health Record
- Diagnosis – including current status of the tumour
- Allergies
- Other medical conditions
- Past treatment (include surgeries, dates etc.)
- Current/most recent treatment
- Medication List ( See here for an example as a PDF, or Word document)
Assessment / Test History (preferably organised by date)
- Blood test results
- Scan results
- Biopsy results
- Neurological Exam (Specialist test)
- Appointment schedule ( See here for an example)
Insurance information
- Medicare
- Private Health Insurance
Legal Documents
- Living Will/Advance Care Plan copy (for more information click here )
- Power of Attorney for Health (also called Health Care Proxy)
- Power of Attorney for Finances
- Contact information for a lawyer
Useful resources
You may also like to look at the Survivorship Diary , a free resource designed for patients and their families manage to all of the information collected throughout their diagnosis and treatment, or Brain Tumour Alliance Australia , who provide peer support to people living with a brain tumour, their carers, their families, and friends.