If you are like most people and have multiple medical concerns, you may consult with different doctors and pharmacies. Keeping track of everything can be challenging. With a personal health record, you can gather — and control — all your information in one easy-to-access place.
What is a personal health record?
A personal health record is simply a collection of health information. If you have an immunization record or a folder with medical documentation, you already have a basic personal health record.
And you've probably encountered the big downside to paper records: You rarely have them when you need them.
Electronic personal health records solve this problem by making information accessible at any time through devices with access to the network, such as computers, smartphones or tablets.
What information is included in a personal health record?
In general, your personal medical record should include everything that helps you and your doctors manage your health, starting with the basics:
Your doctor's names and phone numbers
Allergies, including allergies to medications
Your medications, including dosages
List and dates of diseases and surgeries
Chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure
Living will or advance directives
Family background
Vaccine history
You can also add information about what you are doing to stay healthy and prevent illness, such as:
Checking blood pressure at home
Exercise and eating habits
Health goals, such as quitting smoking or losing weight
Personal health records, electronic medical records, and patient portals
Personal medical records are not the same as electronic medical records, also called electronic medical records, that are owned and maintained by doctor's offices, hospitals, or health insurance plans.
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The records electronic medical generally contain the same basic information that give a personal medical file , such as your date of birth, list of medications and allergies to them. But electronic health records contain more information because they are used by healthcare providers to store visit notes, test results, and much more.
A personal medical record that is linked to an electronic medical record is called a patient portal. In some but not all cases, you can add information to your chart, such as blood pressure readings taken at home, through a patient portal. If that's the case, you may not want to create a separate and independent personal medical record .
However, you may want to consider having at least some basic information on hand in an emergency, including advance medical directives, that summarizes your health care decisions, such as using machines to support yourself. with life.
You could use an app like the health app for iPhones, which includes medical identification, which makes critical information available on the lock screen and can be used by the first people to respond to an emergency. Medical ID can show medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, and emergency contacts. You can also use it to indicate if you are registered as an organ donor.
It is important to have the guarantee that any application you use is secure so that your information is kept confidential. Make sure any application you use requires you to enter a password and that your phone has a firewall or encryption software. Research all the applications before downloading them to your phone and entering your personal information.
Similar apps are available for other smartphones as well. Or, you can skip the technology and wear a medical alert bracelet or carry a medical alert card in your wallet.
What are the benefits of personal health records?
Having a personal medical record can literally save your life. In an emergency, you can quickly give emergency personnel vital information, such as information about the illnesses you are being treated for, the medications you take, drug allergies, and your doctor's contact information.
If you see multiple doctors and they don't use the same electronic medical record system , a personal medical record is a good way to keep all of your health information in one place.
A personal medical record also empowers you to monitor your health between visits. For example, a personal medical record allows you to do the following:
Record and evaluate your health. Record and track your progress in relation to your health goals, such as lowering your cholesterol level.
Make the most of doctor visits. Have some questions ready to ask your doctor and information you want to share, like your blood pressure readings since your last visit.
Check your health between visits. Upload and analyze data from home monitoring devices, such as a blood pressure monitor bracelet. And remember your doctor's instructions from your last appointment.
Get organized. Keep track of appointments, vaccinations, medications, and preventive or screening services, such as mammograms. In fact, studies have shown that when parents use their children's personal medical records, they are more likely to get preventive well-child exams on time.
Are personal health records inconvenient?
Building a complete medical record takes some time. You have to collect and enter all the information about your health. Only a minority of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurance companies can submit information electronically to a personal medical record that is not part of a patient portal.
In most cases, you will have to update your personal medical record manually each time you see the doctor, fill a prescription, get an exam, or go to the hospital.
Even if you use a patient portal, you still need to review the information that is added to it. The electronic health data transfer process is not always perfect and errors can occur.
Will my information be kept private?
Perhaps the most common concerns about personal medical records are about privacy and security. To address these issues, reputable personal health record systems follow industry best practices, such as making their privacy policies public and being vetted by independent organizations. Additionally, federal laws have been established to protect the security of personal health information.
How do I start?
If your primary care physician offers to use a patient portal, do so. The staff at the entrance desk will inform you how to go about registering. (If your doctor doesn't offer to use a patient portal, ask if there will be one in the future.) Then take advantage of its features. Most portals offer the following:
Medical appointment reminders
Drug List
Summary of medical appointment, sometimes with related educational material
Secure messaging with the healthcare provider
Analysis results
