Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Backpack when it comes to Files, whether you’re using the info for yourself or sharing with others. 

Using Screenshots

If you have a complex File you’d like to upload (or one with imaging software not yet supported through Backpack Health), taking a screenshot from your phone or computer can be a great way to get the information into Backpack and to view it wherever you are.

Adding Multi-page Files

For a file that has multiple pages, instead of uploading each individually to Backpack, you can scan the document using a scanner app that brings all of those pages together into a single PDF file. Then, once you have that, you can upload the PDF to your Backpack. Finding a scanner app that works for you is a great way to make uploading and organizing files on Backpack easier. Try an app like Genius Scan (iOS / Android) or TurboScan (iOS / Android) to get started.

Adding Files to Health Entries

There are two ways you can add Files to Backpack – uploading directly in the Files section of the app, or attaching Files to Health Entries. It’s up to you how you want to organize your information, but we think it can be really helpful to create Health Entries to go along with your Files, where applicable. 

For example, if you have a Chest X-ray, instead of just adding a File “Chest X-ray” in the Files section, first create a Health Entry under Procedures, name it Chest X-ray, and attach the File there. That way, you can use that piece of Health info on any of your Share Cards and even be able to translate it while travelling. A File attached to a Share Card alone will not translate.

Naming Your Files

How you name the files in your Backpack is just as important as the files themselves. When you upload your information it’s important to name them as specifically as possible. That way you can understand exactly what they are without having to open them. And, as you start to accumulate a long list of Files, having names for them will come in handy.

Dating Your Health Entries and Files
​Whenever possible, we recommend giving a date to every piece of health info in your Backpack, whether it’s a Health Entry, a Note, or a File. Backpack lets you give dates that aren’t exact (for example, just a year, or a month and year), so you don’t have to know the exact day something happened. Even if it’s just a year, that can help you when you’re looking through the contents of your Backpack later on.
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For Files, Backpack assigns a date automatically when you upload it, but you can edit that date. In fact, it may be a good idea to give files like radiology images or reports the date on which the study occurred, or attach them to a Health Entry for even more accurate information.