SETH GODIN, 56, is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, leadership, and most of all, changing everything. He embraces technology: he’s founded websites, was an early adopter of Kickstarter, and offers his courses online. So you might be surprised to learn what he suggests to handle your personal medical information: paper.
This simple Word doc (Download file) will take you a few minutes to fill out. As you get older, you can keep it up to date. Every time you go to a doctor’s office, print it out and bring it with you. Keep one where you can find it. Make sure your kids or parents have a copy as well.
Take a look at the form and you’ll see that it covers all the basic information you must gather and/or recall every time you see a new doctor. Because it’s easy to update, you can eliminate having to gather the information repeatedly, and you’ll no longer worry about forgetting something important because it’s all there in a neat, simple, and useful form. If you have a copy that’s easily accessible in an emergency, it can save valuable time.
