In 2018, my life took an unexpected turn when my father's health began to decline due to his long-standing battle with diabetes. He had been diabetic since I was in secondary school and was quite able to manage his care at first. Despite my medical background in Endocrinology and Diabetes, nothing quite prepared me for the complexities of coordinating care for someone so dear. As his ability to self-manage faded with age, the responsibility fell on our family, scattered across different locations, each with our own busy lives.

The realization hit hard; we needed to unite, get education on diabetes and glucose management, and meticulously organize his care—from meals and medication to clinic appointments and exercise. There were 3 main challenges; getting everyone involved despite their location and schedule, ensuring everyone understood the gravity of their roles and being careful not to overwhelm any single person with too much responsibility.

Just when it seemed we had things under control, the advent of COVID-19 in 2020 threw us again into uncharted waters. My dad had been managed by one doctor for over 20 years. Suddenly, we no longer had access to his medical records because the doctor lived in another state. Having to access medical care from new sources in the interim showed us the importance of personal medical records. Nothing highlights the critical need for accessible health information like a medical emergency.