Getting Organized at Work

Once you’ve developed your treatment strategy, you’ll likely want to focus on getting back to business. Unfortunately, cancer and its treatment can’t be relegated to after-work hours. As a result, you’ll want to try to make the transition from work to treatment as seamless as possible. The same organizational skills you’ve honed on the job are the key to making this process run smoothly. Here are some steps to help guide the way.

Setting Up Your Files

Whoever predicted a paperless society never had cancer. The paperwork can be mind-boggling — filing insurance claims, preparing taxes, not to mention keeping track of your own thoughts. It’s all easier if you have solid organizational systems in place — at home and at work.

In addition to keeping a permanent set of files at home, it’s a good idea to have another portable set that you can carry between work and appointments. Designate a tote bag that is large enough to hold x-rays and anything else you might need, such as:

• A notebook, to jot your impressions, notes, questions for the doctor, etc.
• Smartphone, tablet or digital recorder
• Post-It Notes to highlight important pages
• Pens, pencils & highlighters 
• Books, newspapers, magazines — or portable work projects — for the waiting room
• Blank checks, credit cards, debit cards or any other payment methods you’ll need
• Calendar or date book

In addition, use one large file folder (vinyl ones are especially durable) to hold your vital paperwork. Keep it in your tote and bring it to every doctor appointment. Keep your original insurance card in the business-card slot and stock the folder with:

• Several copies of your insurance card (front and back). You can also keep digital copies of your insurance card by scanning them onto your phone or tablet, keeping them on a thumb drive or taking a photo on your smartphone so you always have it on hand.
• Insurance claim forms
• Identification: driver’s license, passport or birth certificate
• Copies of your written medical reports
• Your medical history (It’s helpful to have a summary that you can give to doctors or use as a guide when filling out pre-examination forms; this information can also be organized digitally on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or a thumb drive, so that it’s easily accessible and up to date.)
• Lists of questions
• Information on your company’s policies: insurance, disability, vacation — anything pertinent to your situation
• Medical reports — organized by doctor or specialty
• Health insurance — create separate folders for:
  • blank forms
  • copies of forms submitted but not yet reimbursed
  • Explanation of Benefits (EOB)/reimbursement statements
  • a log to monitor insurance claims (click here for a copy of our easy-to-use Health Insurance Claims Log)
• Research — create separate folders for topics such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, nutrition & diet, exercise & physical therapy, psychology, spiritual
• Disability and life insurance policies
• In the course of researching your diagnosis, you may consult with several doctors from different specialties. Keeping a doctors notebook can help you remember who said what. This can be a small loose-leaf binder with pre-printed pages (use our Appointment Summary sheet or create your own) or a spiral notebook, with each doctor listed on a separate page. Keep a card file as well, to save business cards for every doctor you meet with.

Electronic & Online Organizing

While lugging around some paperwork is inevitable, you may be able to minimize clutter by keeping electronic files handy on your laptop or smartphone. The more streamlined your access to information, the more effortlessly you can shift between work and medical appointments.

Many of today’s ultra-portable laptops are light enough that adding them to your tote bag isn’t a burden. Scanning hard copies of documents — insurance policies, written medical reports, medical history, etc. — and keeping an electronic version on your laptop may make crucial information easier to organize and to access on the fly.

Your smartphone or tablet can be another great resource for keeping your info with you at work and on the go. These devices can be used to keep notes or recordings, do research or hold entertainment (e.g., books, music, podcasts) for the waiting room. Many allow you to store documents (in PDF or Word format) such as those suggested above. There are also numerous apps geared specifically toward cancer patients, those with chronic illness or anyone wishing to organize their medical records. They can be used to store information (e.g., lab results, medications, immunizations), track appointments or get explanations for various medical terms and procedures.

Remember, the idea is to keep all your info handy so that you have everything you need ready to go for doctors visits — and you can spend your time at work focused on work, not scrambling to find paperwork before every appointment.