Health-Kit.com offers a free Health Kit with six important tools to help people achieve optimal health in 2008.

"People need to take a more active role in managing their own health," says Timothy Anderson of Health-Kit.com. "All too often people visit their doctors with a vague or even inaccurate description of their symptoms, which can easily lead to a mis-diagnosis. Worse still, these patients then take whatever medications their doctor offers them without keeping track of the results. This can lead to serious complications with their health not to mention a huge medical bill."

But what actions can a person take to ensure they get an accurate diagnosis in the first place? According to Anderson, the key is providing detailed and precise information to the doctor.

"Garbage in, garbage out. That was the old saying about computers twenty years ago. But the same principle applies today with healthcare. If you provide incorrect information about your symptoms to your doctor, then the diagnosis is likely to be incorrect as well."

A patient's first responsibility is to maintain a journal of symptoms. Include dates and times, what symptom occurred, and how severe it was. Bring this journal when visiting the doctor. Over days, weeks and months, memories will fade. This journal will provide a chronological, objective history of what happened and when. This is the key to a proper diagnosis."

But that is only half of the puzzle. The other half has to do with treatment. After a person is diagnosed and the doctor recommends a medication and course of treatment, how can someone know whether it's working? Anderson insists that a journal is vital in this area as well.

"Keep a regular log of what treatment or medication you take, when you take it, whether with meals or not, and what the results are. Do you feel better? Worse? Are there any side effects of the medication? When do they occur?

Maintaining this journal over time is the surest way to keep tabs on whether a treatment is having a positive effect or a negative effect on overall health. Nowadays, there are numerous different treatment options available for most common ailments, and keeping a detailed treatment journal is a great way to ensure you get the best one for you."

According to Anderson, it is vital that everyone take an active role in managing their own health. Using a simple journal approach is the fastest and easiest way to help your doctor help you.

Anderson's web site offers a free downloadable Health Kit containing spreadsheets and outlines to use to create a personal health management journal. It can be downloaded at http://www.Health-Kit.com