Hematologist
CION Cancer Clinics
How to keep your own blood disorder records | CION Cancer Clinics
Keep one file, in date order, of every blood test report, transfusion record, discharge summary and current medicine list, and carry it to every appointment. A blood disorder is judged by how your counts change over time, and hospitals rarely share records with each other. This guide shows what to keep, how to set the file up, and what your own records cannot tell you. At CION Cancer Clinics, our haematology team supports patients and families through treatment, cost questions and life at home.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Basudev PokhrelConsultant Haematologist · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Why should you keep your own blood disorder records?
- Which papers belong in your file?
- How do you set up the file from a pile of papers?
- Paper file or phone folder: which should you keep?
- What do families get wrong about medical records?
- What do the words on your blood reports mean?
- What can your own file not do for you?
- Common questions about keeping blood disorder records
The short answer
Why should you keep your own blood disorder records?
Keep one file of every blood report, transfusion note, discharge summary and medicine list, in date order, and take it to every appointment. A blood disorder is usually followed over a long time, and the doctor learns most from how your counts have moved, not from one report on its own.
Why one report is not enough
A haemoglobin result that looks worrying can be steady for you. A result that looks almost normal can be a fall from where you were last time. Your haematologist can only see that pattern if the older reports are in front of them. Hospitals and laboratories do not share records with each other on their own, so the person who carries the file is usually you, or the son or daughter who comes with you.
When it matters most
Your own file earns its place when you change hospital, see a new doctor, travel from a district to Hyderabad for a second opinion, or arrive at an emergency department at night. In each of those moments the team is starting without your history. A tidy file can save repeat tests, and it can stop a medicine being given that caused a reaction before.
Keeping records is a support to your care. It is not a reason to read the reports alone and change anything yourself.What goes in the file
Which papers belong in your file?
Four kinds of paper do most of the work. Keep the original and give copies away, never the other way round.
Blood test reports
Every complete blood count, iron study and special test, from every laboratory, including the ones that came back normal.
Worth keeping together
- Complete blood count reports
- Iron and ferritin results
- Haemoglobin type tests, such as HPLC
Transfusion records
If you or your child has regular transfusions, keep the date, the blood group, the number of units given and any reaction. This record matters a great deal when you move to a new centre.
Medicine list
One up-to-date page with every medicine, including iron, folic acid, chelation, blood thinners and anything from another doctor. Write the names exactly as they appear on the strip.
Add any medicine or blood product that caused a reaction, and what happened.Letters and summaries
Discharge summaries, referral letters, bone marrow biopsy reports and scan reports. These explain the thinking behind the numbers.
Often forgotten
- Reports from a childhood admission
- Test results of a relative with the same condition
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistOne evening of work
How do you set up the file from a pile of papers?
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Gather everything in one place
Collect reports from drawers, bags, phone photos and WhatsApp chats. Ask family members if they are holding any. Do not throw anything away yet, even if it looks old.
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Sort by date, oldest first
Date order lets a doctor turn the pages and see the story. Keep the most recent report on top of a separate short pile you carry to every visit.
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Make a one-page summary
Write the diagnosis as the doctor wrote it, your blood group, known allergies, current medicines, and the names of the hospitals that have treated you. Keep it at the front.
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Make a simple results sheet
Copy the date, haemoglobin, platelet count and white cell count from each report into columns. Write exactly what the report says. Do not fill gaps with guesses.
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Keep a photo copy on the phone
Photograph each page clearly and keep the photos in one album or folder. Share that folder with one trusted family member, so the file still exists if the phone is lost.
Side by side
Paper file or phone folder: which should you keep?
Paper file
Phone folder
Easy for an older parent to carry and hand over
Easy for the son or daughter to share from another city
Works when the phone battery is flat or there is no signal
Survives if the paper file is lost, wet or left on a bus
Originals can fade, especially thin printouts from a laboratory machine
Blurred photos can be hard for a doctor to read
Suits the patient who attends alone
Suits the family member who pays and coordinates
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
What do families get wrong about medical records?
"The hospital has everything on its computer, so we need nothing."
Each hospital holds only what was done there. A new doctor, another city or an emergency department at night usually cannot see it. Your own copy fills that gap.
"Only the latest report matters. The old ones can go."
For a blood disorder the old reports are often the most useful. They show whether a count has always been a little low or has dropped recently, and those two can mean very different things.
"If I read my own reports, I can adjust my tablets."
Reference ranges differ between laboratories, and a single result is read alongside symptoms and repeat tests. Never start, stop or change a medicine, transfusion or chelation on your own. Take the file and the question to your haematologist.
"Showing a new doctor reports from elsewhere will offend them."
Doctors ask for earlier reports because they help. Bringing them is a courtesy, not a challenge, and it often avoids repeating tests you have already paid for.
On the papers you file
What do the words on your blood reports mean?
- CBC or complete blood count
- The routine test that counts red cells, white cells and platelets, and measures haemoglobin. It is the report you will file most often.
- Reference range
- The span a laboratory treats as usual. It differs between laboratories, which is why keeping the report itself matters more than copying one number.
- Ferritin
- A blood test that reflects how much iron the body has stored. It is followed closely in people who have many transfusions.
- HPLC
- A test that sorts the types of haemoglobin in the blood. It is used to look for thalassaemia and sickle cell traits.
- Discharge summary
- The letter written when you leave hospital. It lists what was found, what was done and what the plan is.
Being straight with you
What can your own file not do for you?
Your file cannot diagnose anything, and it cannot tell you whether a change in your counts matters. That is a judgement your haematologist makes with your symptoms, an examination and often a repeat test. A neat results sheet makes that judgement quicker. It does not replace it.
It will not replace the hospital's own record
The hospital keeps its own notes, and your copy sits alongside them. If you find a mismatch, such as a different blood group written in two places, raise it with the team at your next visit rather than choosing one yourself.
Keep it private
Medical reports carry your name, age and diagnosis. Share them with the doctors treating you and one or two family members you trust. Be careful with large family WhatsApp groups, and never post a report on social media to ask strangers what it means.
Bring it, even when you think it is not needed
At CION, the haematology team reads your earlier reports before the plan is discussed. If the file is at home, the visit often ends with a request to come back with it.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about keeping blood disorder records
How far back should I keep my blood reports?
Keep all of them, from the first report that showed the problem. For a long-term blood disorder the earliest reports are often the ones a new haematologist most wants to see, because they show where your counts started. If some are lost, do not worry. Bring what you have and tell the doctor which are missing.
Is a phone photo of the report good enough?
Usually yes, if it is sharp, straight and shows the whole page, including the laboratory name and date. Check each photo before filing it. Keep the paper original as well where you can, because a doctor may need to see the full report, and some printouts fade quickly.
My father has thalassaemia and gets regular transfusions. What must I record?
Record the date of each transfusion, the blood group, the number of units, the hospital, and any fever, rash or breathlessness during or after it. Keep his ferritin reports and his chelation medicine list in the same file. Any new centre will ask for exactly these details.
Can I ask a hospital or laboratory for copies of my reports?
Yes. Ask at the records or front desk, and carry an ID. Some hospitals charge a small fee or take a few days. Many laboratories also send reports by email or through an app. Ask for them at the time of the test, which is far easier than tracing them later.
Should I write my own notes on the reports?
Keep notes on a separate sheet, not on the report itself, so the original stays clean. Useful notes are symptoms you had around that date, a new medicine that was started, or what the doctor said. Short and dated is enough. Do not write your own interpretation of the result.
What should I carry if I go to an emergency department?
Carry the one-page summary, the most recent blood report, the current medicine list and the latest discharge summary. If the situation is urgent, go straight away without the file. Getting there comes first. A family member can bring the papers or share the phone folder afterwards.
Is there a government app that can hold my records?
India has a national digital health account scheme, and some hospitals and laboratories can link reports to it. Not every provider is connected yet, so do not rely on it alone. Keep your own file as well, and check the current rules on the official portal before you sign up.
Will CION look at reports from another hospital?
Yes. Bring every earlier report, including those from other hospitals and district laboratories. The haematology team reads them before discussing a plan, and they may avoid repeating a test you have already had. You can also share them through the helpline before your first visit.
Your Haematologist
Meet CION's haematologist. One specialist for your blood report and your plan.
Dr. Basudev Pokhrel reviews blood counts, transfusion needs and blood disorders, and works with the CION tumour board on blood cancers.
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A haematology consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where each test or treatment takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- American Society of Hematology — Blood disorders: information for patients
- NHS — Thalassaemia
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — Blood tests
- Cancer.Net — Cancer.Net patient information
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Transferring Regular Transfusion Care to a New CentreWhen your file matters most: moving your transfusionsGetting a Second Opinion on a Blood DisorderWhat reports a second opinion needsQuestions to Ask at a Haematology AppointmentTake these questions along with your fileChoosing Care for a Blood DisorderThe full guide to finding the right care
Talk to us
Have a file of reports and not sure what they show?
Call the helpline and tell us what has been found so far. We will help you reach CION's haematology team with your reports in hand. One helpline serves every CION centre.