SOLVE

Take Action – be the catalyst to help SOLVE your child’s medical diagnosis

A collaboration from parents that have already been through this incredibly frustrating process – we have compiled a check list to help you be more prepared when searching for a diagnosis and when readying yourself to see one of the many specialists on your target list.

These suggestions are very important to ensure that you provide all relevant information to your physician, we want to help shrink the time it takes for a physician or specialist to help make a correct diagnosis.

Start Researching & Compiling - You must understand all of your child’s medical case facts before a complex medical case can be solved.

Collect ALL medical records from blood workups to scans and put them into a binder or scan them into the computer. While this is time consuming, it is very important. Continue to add to the binder over time.

Overview Summary – Write a two page summary of your child’s medical case history from birth to present. Tell a complete story and include all major medical events (seizures, ataxia, etc.). Have a friend or family member read your summary to make sure your outline makes sense.

Once you have your summary complete, start keeping a daily journal and continue to update your summary over time.

List the facts – Focus on the facts and details! Provide information on tests your child has had to date, doctors and hospitals you have seen and visited, phone numbers/emails of your doctors, insurance coverage, etc.

List all medications your child takes (dosages, schedules, what has worked or not worked to date).

Video your child – include video coverage of symptoms, behaviors that you don’t understand, facial features, physical anomalies, your child’s interactions with siblings, with their surroundings, anything that could be relevant or a clue to help form a diagnosis.

Engage The Experts – You will now have a complete history to bring to experts to help them diagnose your child. This is critical and ongoing, and you will have to create these for each of your appointments. To have an electronic file that you could send to experts around the world is critical as well.