This may involve a good deal of effort, but the value was emphasized again and again by focus group participants and others. Your record will help you when a doctor is taking a history, or when you change doctors. It will also keep your mind clear about the course of the illness and the treatment that has been tried. The record should be clear and precise and in point form. Avoid vague words and rambling descriptions.
Medical practitioners stress the importance of listing behaviours that can be observed and measured.
For example, you are noting a behaviour if you say that Joe refuses to wash, and wears the same clothes every day. This is more useful than saying that Joe looks terrible. Write down the details of the noted behaviour, and include the day, time and duration, if applicable. Keep a record of your appointments with your doctor, and keep copies of all correspondence. It is essential that you treat your record as a confidential document, one that should be used with great discretion.