LOWELL - As a registered nurse, Sandi Schantz long has recognized the importance of keeping good medical records. But it wasn't until an automobile accident while on vacation that she decided to take positive steps to help others with their record-keeping tasks.

"We were in a car accident in Tennessee, and I was in one treatment room, my kids were in another, and it was very difficult to communicate," Schantz said. "I told my husband to go in my purse, get out our index cards with information about their allergies, last tetanus shot, immunization records, medications, that kind of thing. The questions stopped, the hospital personnel were so impressed that I had this information, and it made our time in the hospital easier too, because all of their questions were answered."

As an emergency room nurse, Schantz started thinking about the number of people who don't have the information.

So Schantz designed a medical history and health diary. Similar in size to a checkbook, the diary has information on allergies, physicians, immunizations, and lab work.

"People go to a new doctor, and they have to fill out all these forms," she said. "Physicians also don't talk to each other when they are treating the same patients. This diary improves communication between health care providers. This is also a tool designed to help people be knowledgeable and involved in their health care, and provide a way for them to keep track of checkups,  annual exams and lab work."

The book is yellow, printed with black ink to make it easier for elderly to read. It is small enough to fit in a glove compartment, purse or pocket.

At a cost of $9.95 each, Schantz doesn't plan to quite her day job over this venture. But her goal is to sell them to doctors, who then will provide them on a complimentary basis to their patients.