Medical observations are measurements and assessments your healthcare providers record about your health - things like blood pressure, lab results, pain levels, and screening questionnaires.

These help your care team track your health over time, spot changes that need attention, and make informed decisions about your treatment.

Note: Only your healthcare providers can add or update observations to ensure medical accuracy.

 

Types of Observations

Vital signs: Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, breathing rate, oxygen levels

Body measurements: Height, weight, BMI, head circumference (for children)

Lab results: Blood tests, urine tests, hormone levels, infection markers

Assessments: Pain scales, depression screenings, functional evaluations

Health behaviors: Smoking status, alcohol use, exercise habits

Personal health info: Pregnancy status, sexual orientation, occupation

 

Understanding Your Results

What you'll see:

  • Your result: The actual measurement or finding
  • Normal range: What's typical for people like you
  • Status: Whether results are final, preliminary, or corrected
  • When taken: Date and time of the observation
  • Who recorded it: Which provider or device made the measurement

Result flags you might see:

  • Normal (N): Your result is within expected range
  • High (H) / Low (L): Outside normal range
  • Critical: Dangerously high or low - needs immediate attention

 

How to Use This Information

Review regularly:

  • Check new results as they become available
  • Look for trends over time
  • Note any abnormal or critical results
  • Prepare questions for your next appointment

Track at home:

  • Monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, or weight as recommended
  • Keep symptom diaries or pain logs
  • Note medication effects
  • Share home monitoring results with your care team

 

Key Points to Remember

  • Trends matter more than single results - Look at patterns over time
  • Normal ranges vary - What's normal depends on your age, gender, and health conditions
  • Final results are most reliable - Preliminary results may change
  • Context is important - Your provider interprets results based on your overall health
  • Share with all providers - Bring recent results to new doctors or emergency visits

Your observations help you and your healthcare team make informed decisions about your care.