How
to Share Your Medical History With a Bali Hospital Before Arrival
Quick answer: To share your medical history with a
Bali hospital before arrival, contact the hospital’s
international patient desk and send a concise,
organised summary — your diagnoses, current medications and doses,
allergies, past surgeries, recent test and imaging results, and a
referral or letter from your home doctor. Send it by the hospital’s
secure/official channel (their international desk email
or patient portal), translated into English (and ideally with key terms
in Indonesian), a few days ahead so the treating team can review it
before you arrive. Sharing history in advance means the doctors already
understand your case on day one, which makes admission faster, safer,
and less repetitive.
I’m Dr. Maya Anggraini, founder of Bali Patient
Concierge. Patients often arrive having repeated their story
five times to five people. Sending a clear history first prevents that —
and, more importantly, prevents dangerous gaps. Here’s how to do it
properly.
Why sharing history early
matters
When a Bali hospital has your history before you arrive:
- The treating doctor can prepare and plan
appropriately. - Allergies and drug interactions are known before
anything is prescribed. - Duplicate tests are avoided, saving time and
money. - Continuity of care from your home doctor is
preserved. - Admission is faster and calmer, especially with an
interpreter present.
For anyone with a chronic or complex condition, this is not optional
— it’s a safety measure.
Step 1: Build a
clear medical history summary
Insurers and doctors don’t want a disorganised stack of files.
Prepare a one- to two-page summary plus supporting
documents. Include:
- Personal details — name, date of birth,
passport/ID. - Current diagnoses and the reason for your Bali
visit/treatment. - Medications — names, doses, frequency (generic
names help). - Allergies — drugs, foods, materials (e.g., latex,
contrast dye). - Past surgeries and major illnesses, with
dates. - Recent test/imaging results — bloods, ECG,
scans. - Your home doctor’s contact and any referral
letter.
Attach the underlying reports and images as separate files.
Step 2: Translate the key
information
Send documents in English, and for critical items —
allergies, current medications, primary diagnosis — it helps to include
the Indonesian terms too. If your records are in
another language, arrange translation of at least the summary. A
medical interpreter can help ensure clinical terms are
accurate on both sides; see our medical interpreter service.
Accurate translation matters most for anything safety-critical, like
allergy names.
Step 3: Send
it through a secure, official channel
Medical history is sensitive personal data — share it carefully:
- Use the hospital’s international patient desk email or
official patient portal, not a random social account. - Confirm receipt and that the right department has
it. - Consider password-protecting attachments and
sharing the password separately. - Keep your own copies (digital and printed) to bring
with you.
If you’re unsure which channel is correct, the international desk can
tell you — or your concierge can route it correctly. This dovetails with
our hospital admission
assistance, and you can see the full picture in the Bali hospital
admission process for foreigners.
Step 4: Time it right
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 weeks before (planned care) | Assemble summary, get referral, request translation |
| 3–5 days before | Send to the international desk; confirm receipt |
| 48 hours before | Reconfirm the team has reviewed it; note any questions |
| On arrival | Bring printed + digital copies as backup |
Sending too late defeats the purpose — the point is that the team
reads it before they meet you.
What to physically bring as
backup
Even after emailing, carry:
- A printed copy of the summary and key reports.
- Medication packaging and prescriptions.
- Imaging on a USB or via a shared link.
- Your insurance details and passport.
Systems and inboxes fail; a printed summary in your bag never does.
For a full document list, see what
documents foreigners need for Bali hospital admission and how to transfer
your medical records to a Bali hospital.
Reputable source: Health authorities recommend that
travellers carry a summary of their medical history, a current
medication list (with generic names), and allergy information, and share
these with treating clinicians abroad — this improves safety and
continuity of care and reduces medication errors. (Source: U.S. CDC
Travelers’ Health, “Travelers with Chronic Illnesses” and travel health
kit guidance, cdc.gov; consistent with WHO International Travel and
Health.)
Special cases worth
flagging in advance
Some histories need extra care when shared ahead of arrival:
- Chronic conditions needing ongoing treatment — if
you’ll need dialysis, chemo, or regular infusions during your stay, the
hospital must know early to schedule them. See coordinating
dialysis or chemo sessions while staying in Bali. - Complex medication regimens — anticoagulants (blood
thinners), insulin, immunosuppressants and controlled medicines all
matter for planning and for what you’re allowed to carry through
customs. - Implanted devices — pacemakers, stents, joint
replacements — note these clearly, as they affect scans and
procedures. - Recent surgery or hospitalisation — send the
discharge summary so the team sees your most recent care.
Flagging these in your summary, rather than mentioning them in
passing at the desk, is what lets the treating team prepare
properly.
A note on privacy and
consent
Only share what’s relevant, use official channels, and keep control
of who receives it. Reputable international-facing hospitals handle
patient data under professional confidentiality standards; if in doubt,
ask the international desk how your data is stored and used.
Let us prepare
and send your history correctly
Assembling a clean medical summary, translating the critical parts,
and routing it to the right desk at the right hospital is fiddly —
especially across a language gap. Tell us your situation and we’ll
organise your history, get it to the treating team securely, and make
sure nothing important is lost in translation.
- Request admission &
history-sharing support on the contact page → - WhatsApp us 24/7: chat now
- See our full patient support service on the Bali Patient
Concierge homepage.
Medical disclaimer: Bali Patient Concierge provides
logistics, interpretation and coordination support, including helping
you organise and share records. We are not a hospital and do not provide
medical diagnosis or treatment, and we do not alter or interpret your
clinical records. Always consult a licensed physician.
Written by Dr. Maya Anggraini, MD (Universitas Udayana Faculty of
Medicine; certified medical interpreter EN/ID; member, Indonesian
Medical Association/IDI). Medically reviewed by Nurse Putu Ariani, RN,
on 9 March 2027.