Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
Chapter 21: Medical and Financial Record-keeping
Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comfort and hopes.
— Francis Bacon
KEEPING TRACK OF voluminous paper work—both medical and financial—is a trial for every parent of a child with cancer; but keeping accurate records prevents medical errors and reduces insurance overbillings. Checking results of tests allows parents to identify changes in lab reports that might otherwise go unnoticed and untreated. Having easy access to medical reports and properly organizing bills can also mean less time spent in conflicts with insurance companies and collection agencies. This chapter suggests a few basic systems for keeping both medical and financial records.
Table of Contents
All Guides- Introduction
- 1. Diagnosis
- 2. The Brain and Spinal Cord
- 3. Types of Tumors
- 4. Telling Your Child and Others
- 5. Choosing a Treatment
- 6. Coping with Procedures
- 7. Forming a Partnership with the Treatment Team
- 8. Hospitalization
- 9. Venous Catheters
- 10. Surgery
- 11. Chemotherapy
- 12. Common Side Effects of Chemotherapy
- 13. Radiation Therapy
- 14. Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
- 15. Siblings
- 16. Family and Friends
- 17. Communication and Behavior
- 18. School
- 19. Sources of Support
- 20. Nutrition
- 21. Medical and Financial Record-keeping
- 22. End of Treatment and Beyond
- 23. Recurrence
- 24. Death and Bereavement
- 25. Looking Forward
- Appendix A. Blood Tests and What They Mean
- Appendix C. Books and Websites