An American tourist, strolling the harborfront of Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean coast, lost consciousness and was rushed to one of the city’s busiest hospitals. The woman was alone, and the only clues to her condition were an array of cuts and bruises and her vital signs, which included an elevated blood pressure reading.

The physician on duty that day was Ülkümen Rodoplu, who has worked in the field of disaster management and emergency medicine for more than 20 years. During his examination, he noticed a sticker with a logo and phone number on the patient’s passport. “I had seen this same logo at an emergency medicine congress in Europe,” Rodoplu recalls. “I didn’t know the details but was aware they could help me obtain information about my patient. In less than 15 minutes, I had a full medical history, which was precious in planning treatment.”

Patients come to the emergency room at the most critical times of their life, notes Bruce McNulty, medical director of the emergency department at Chicago’s Swedish Covenant Hospital. “Often they arrive with trauma or diseases that make them confused or unconscious, and it may be their first time in that hospital,” he says. “Past medical information is crucial to guiding our decisions and avoiding medical errors.”

Regardless of where we’re from or how educated we are, when it comes to illness, particularly one that is acute or unexpected, many of us are left feeling bewildered and vulnerable. Whether you’re in a rural village thousands of miles from home or a local emergency room, you can help health care workers better understand your medical condition, facilitate more efficient care, and prevent potentially life-threatening complications by compiling a personal health file.

We keep files for our cars, bank accounts, and even our pets, but few of us maintain a thorough account of our own bodies, and records kept by doctors’ offices and pharmacies are often fragmented. To create your own comprehensive health history, begin by pulling together the information you already have, then contact past providers and family members to fill in the blanks. Recommended elements include:

•  Medical conditions
• Names and contact information of your primary physician and any specialists
• Medications and dosages (Remember to include over-the-counter substances such as aspirin, vitamins, and herbal remedies.)
• Drug and other allergies (Note what type of reaction you had, such as vomiting, a swollen tongue or throat, or a rash.)
• Surgeries or hospitalizations, including visits to the emergency room
• Lab, biopsy, and other test results (Request this data from all current and past physicians. You have a right to this information, and it is invaluable to future providers.)
• Vaccination dates for influenza, pneumonia, and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, and any immunizations you may have received prior to international travel
• Living will, advance directives, religious preferences, and other documents relevant to medical care
• Family medical tree (Some of the diseases associated with genetic risk include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. This information may facilitate diagnosis in an emergency and can assist in prevention. The early onset of certain cancers in a patient’s mother or father, for example, signals the need for regular screening.)

These basics will help streamline care and may prevent dangerous drug interactions, especially if you’re being treated by more than one provider. “A patient may take the diabetes medication metformin, which must be stopped if the patient receives IV contrast, due to the risk of permanent kidney damage,” McNulty says. “Or they may be taking a blood thinner such as Coumadin and experience a head injury, in which case that medication must be reversed to avoid a brain hemorrhage.”

Over time, we tend to forget the details of our health care, and as technology allows for smaller surgical scars, our bodies don’t always reveal their histories. “I’ve had patients forget they had their gallbladder removed, and I’ve pursued the diagnosis of gallstones to the point of an ultrasound, only to get a report back that there is no gallbladder,” McNulty says. “The patient has just spent several hours and a lot of money to have an unneeded test.”

Once you establish a personal health record, keep a hard copy somewhere secure, and consider storing the data in an online system, especially if you’re planning a trip abroad. Programs such as ER-ID Card enable electronic access to your personal health record, and Microsoft’s HealthVault facilitates online data management. The U.S. Surgeon General offers a Web-based tool called My Family Health Portrait, and the company WakefieldSoft created HealthFile personal health software, which is compatible with Windows and hand-held mobile devices.

If you take part in humanitarian projects in foreign countries or remote areas, you may want to make additional arrangements. Himansu Basu, chair of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Physicians, has traveled frequently with fellow doctors. “We identified anyone with a cardiac pacemaker or other medical device, and prior to departure, each person’s blood was screened and typed so that in an emergency we knew who could give blood to one another,” says Basu, past governor of District 1120 (England). “This is key in regions without consistent blood-product screening.” The doctors also carried sterile first-aid supplies with them, along with a sufficient amount of clean drinking water for the first night.

“Make travel safe by understanding health and hygienic risks, familiarizing yourself with the medical system of the country you’re visiting, and carrying evidence of health insurance,” Basu advises. “Make yourself safe for travel by obtaining vaccinations, utilizing prophylactic medication and other preventative measures, and carrying a personal health portfolio.”

Apart from emergency situations, a health file can optimize the limited time we have with our medical providers during scheduled appointments. Bring your health records and a list of questions to your doctor’s office, and take notes when possible. Tell your physician about anything that may affect your health – if you’ve stopped taking a medication and why, for example, or if you’ve added any holistic remedies. Providers may not always inquire about personal issues, but address these areas nonetheless. Medical research is paying closer attention to the impact of stressors such as job loss, the death or illness of a family member, divorce, and financial problems.

Finally, if you’re not feeling well, it’s a good idea to ask someone to accompany you to appointments. A friend or family member who isn’t distracted by the stress and discomfort of an illness is often better equipped to ask questions and record information. As Rotarians know, no matter how much preparation you have, a network of support remains the most valuable asset in any situation.

Shirley Stephenson is a registered nurse and freelance writer who has spent several years working in international health care.