Blog
Clear answers for the people who look after a parent.
Plain-language guides for families who look after a parent's health: hospital records and patient portals, blood test results, doctor visits and leaving the hospital.
A parent's hospital records
Patient portals, family access, your right to your records, and US hospitals in one place.
· 6 min read
How to see your parent’s hospital test results
Three ways to see a parent’s hospital test results: proxy access to the patient portal, a records request, or the visit itself. What to expect and when to call.
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Patient portal proxy access: how adult children get it
Proxy access gives you your own login to a parent’s patient portal. Who can get it, the usual steps, what you can see, and what to do if a parent cannot sign.
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How to get a parent’s medical records without a patient portal
No portal? Your parent can still get copies of their records and have them sent to you. What to ask the records office, how long it takes, and what it can cost.
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How to get your hospital records on your iPhone
US hospitals must let patients connect apps to their records. How it works on an iPhone, what comes through, keeping it private, and adding a parent’s records.
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Your legal right to your health records in the US
HIPAA gives you a right to your health records, and the Cures Act limits information blocking. What each law means, time limits, fees, and using an app.
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What SMART on FHIR means for patients, in plain words
SMART on FHIR is the standard that lets you connect an app to your hospital records. What FHIR and SMART mean, why hospitals offer it, and what to check first.
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How to keep your family’s medical records in one place
How to gather a family’s medical records in one place: what to keep for each person, paper or digital, getting records in, and keeping it private but shareable.
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When a parent sees doctors at several hospitals
When a parent gets care at several hospitals, results sit apart. How to get access at each, line up results, and give every doctor the full picture.
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What HIPAA lets doctors share with family caregivers
HIPAA lets doctors share with family involved in a patient’s care. When they can, what a personal representative is, how authorization works, and what to ask.
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How to organize a parent’s medical information: a checklist
A checklist to organize a parent’s medical information: a one-page summary, medicine list, doctors and insurance, legal papers, test results, and upkeep.
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Blood work, explained
How to read a result, what the ranges and units mean, and when a number cannot wait.
· 6 min read
How to read a blood test report, line by line
A plain guide to a blood test report: the test name, the result, the unit, the reference range and the flags, and what to ask the doctor once you have read it.
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What a reference range means, and why yours may differ
A reference range is the span of results a lab expects in most healthy people. See how labs set it, why it differs between labs, and why it is not a diagnosis.
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A lab result is flagged high or low: what it means, what to do
A high or low flag means a result is outside the lab’s range, not that something is wrong. Learn common causes, when a flag matters more, and what to do next.
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CBC vs CMP: the two most common blood tests, explained
A CBC counts the cells in your blood. A CMP checks blood sugar, minerals, kidneys and liver. Learn what each one measures, how they differ and how to prepare.
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Do you need to fast before a blood test?
Only some blood tests need fasting, such as fasting glucose and some cholesterol tests. Learn what fasting means, what to drink, and how to ask about medicines.
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Why lab results change from one test to the next
Lab results move a little every time, even in healthy people. Learn the everyday reasons, why a trend tells more than one number, and when a change matters.
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Lab units explained: mg/dL, mmol/L and more, US vs other countries
Why the same blood test can show 90 in one report and 5 in another. A plain guide to mg/dL, mmol/L and other lab units, and why US results differ from abroad.
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Questions to ask the doctor about blood test results
A plain list of questions to ask the doctor about blood test results: what a result means, what happens next, and what a caregiver can do to help a parent.
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When a lab result is urgent, and when it can wait
Most abnormal lab results are not emergencies. Learn what a critical result is, how labs and doctors handle one, and which symptoms mean you should call 911.
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Common blood tests for older adults and what they check
A plain guide to blood tests older adults often get: blood count, kidney and liver tests, blood sugar, cholesterol, thyroid and B12, and what each checks.
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Looking after a parent
Doctor visits, leaving the hospital, medicines, and keeping up from far away.
· 6 min read
Looking after an aging parent’s health: a practical checklist
A plain checklist for adult children: your parent’s doctors, medicines, records, home safety, legal papers, and the signs that mean call the doctor or 911.
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How to prepare for a parent’s doctor appointment
What to bring, what to ask, and how to help without taking over: a plain guide for adult children going to a parent’s doctor appointment, in person or by video.
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Before a parent leaves the hospital: what to ask
Discharge planning in plain words: the questions to ask before a parent leaves the hospital, the papers to get, and what to do in the first days at home.
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Long-distance caregiving: keeping up with a parent’s health
How to stay on top of a parent’s health when you live far away: who to call, how to see results, how to share the work with family, and when to travel.
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How to keep an accurate medication list for a parent
What to write on a parent’s medication list, how to check it against the bottles, when to update it, and why every doctor and pharmacist should see one list.
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Medical words on a parent’s records, in plain language
What common words on medical records mean: benign, unremarkable, chronic, acute, follow-up, impression, incidental and more, in plain everyday English.
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How to share a parent’s records with a new doctor or specialist
How to get a parent’s records to a new doctor or specialist: what to send, how to request a transfer, your parent’s rights, and what to bring to the visit.
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What to look for in a health records app for your family
How to judge a health records app before you trust it with a parent’s data: privacy, encryption, a file per person, hospital connections, sharing and deleting.
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Getting health information in your own language
Language help in US health care: when you can ask for a free interpreter, why family should not interpret, and how multilingual families can share health news.
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Asking ChatGPT health questions safely
How to use ChatGPT for health questions about a parent with care: what not to share, how to check answers against trusted sources, and why the doctor decides.
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