Why your records matter
Doctors in India plan your treatment from what your records show: the diagnosis, the stage of an illness, what has already been tried and how your body responded. Good records make the hospital's opinion more accurate and can shorten your stay, because tests do not need to be repeated without reason.
You do not need everything ready before you first talk to MedPrax. Once we understand your situation, we tell you which documents the treating team needs and how to share them securely.
Reports and summaries
Gather recent consultation notes, discharge summaries from earlier hospital stays, operation notes and blood test results from the last three to six months. For long-standing conditions, the first diagnosis report is useful too. A short letter from your own doctor describing your history and current treatment is one of the most helpful documents you can bring.
Hospitals in India work in English. Reports in another language may need a translation, and MedPrax can tell you which ones the treating team wants translated before you travel.
Scans and images
For MRI, CT, PET and angiography, doctors need the images themselves, not only the written report. Ask the imaging centre for the full study in DICOM format on a disc, USB drive or download link. Photos of a screen or printed films are much harder to read. X-rays and ultrasound reports are useful too, especially if they show how something has changed over time.
Pathology for cancer and other biopsies
If you have had a biopsy or cancer surgery, the pathology report is essential. Many cancer teams in India also like to review the original slides, or the paraffin blocks the slides were cut from, to confirm the diagnosis and run extra tests such as receptor or genetic markers. Ask your pathology laboratory how to release them, and carry them in your hand luggage.
Medicines and allergies
Write a list of every medicine you take, with the dose and how often, including inhalers, injections and supplements. Note any allergies and any reaction to an anaesthetic. Bring enough of your regular medicines for the whole stay plus a margin, in their original packaging, with a prescription or doctor's letter. Blood thinners, diabetes medicines and steroids are especially important to mention, as they may need changing before surgery.
On the day you travel
Keep originals, discs and slides in your hand luggage, never in a checked bag. Carry a printed or phone copy of everything as a backup, and bring your passport, visa approval and the hospital's invitation letter in the same folder. If someone is coming with you, give them copies too.