Personal Health Records

-Ayush Narula

Masters in Health Informatics student at AUT University.

Author

A personal health record is simply a collection of information about your health.

If you have a box of medical records, You already have a personal health record.

Electronic personal health recordAn electronic personal health record is an application used by patients to maintain and manage their health information in a private, secure and confidential environment.

Why do we need a Electronic personal health record?- You rarely have your paper personal health record, when you need them.- EPHR solves this problem by making your personal health record accessible to you anytime via a Web-enabled device, such as a computer, or a phone, or a tablet.- Having a PHR could be a lifesaver. As in an emergency, you can quickly give emergency personnel vital information, such as a disease you’re being treated for, previous surgeries and hospitalizations, medication you take, drug allergies, how to contact your family doctor.

Electronic health record and Electronic personal health record are differentFormer is owned and operated by doctor’s office, hospitals, or health insurance plans.- Some may limit your access but many do allow their patients to access and print their records at any time.

What is a Personal Health Record?

Simply anything that helps you and your health care providers manage your health.

● Your primary care doctor’s name and phone number ● Allergies, including drug allergies● Your medications, including dosages● Chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure● Major surgeries, with dates● Living well or advance directives● Family history● Immunization history

Add information about what you’re doing to prevent diseases, such as-● Results of screening tests● Cholesterol level and blood pressure● Exercise and dietary habits● Health goals, such as stopping smoking and losing weight.

What should a PHR contain?

● Grants access to health resources, Best medical practices etc.● Can benefit Clinicians, Offers patients the opportunity to submit

their data to their clinician’s EHR.● PHR’s can analyze the individual’s health profile and identify

health threats and improvement opportunities based on an analysis of drug interaction, current best medical practices, and gaps in medical care plans.

● PHR’s makes it easier for clinicians to care for their patients by facilitating continuous communication as opposed to episodic.

● In case of emergencies, a PHR can quickly provide critical information to proper diagnosis or treatment.

Benefits of a PHR

Standalone Personal Health Records: With a Standalone PHR, patients fill in information from their own records, and the information is stored on patients’ computers or the internet. In some cases, a standalone PHR can also accept data external sources, including providers and laboratories. With a standalone PHR, patients could add diet or exercise information to track progress over time. Patients can decide whether to share the information with providers, family members, or anyone else involved in the care.

Connected Personal Health Record: A tethered, or connected, PHR is linked to a specific health care organization’s electronic health record (EHR) system or to a health plan’s information system. With a tethered PHR, patients can access their own records through a secure portal and see, for example, a trend of their lab results over the last year, their immunization history, or due dates for screening.

Two types of PHRs

HealthSpek

Health Companion

Questions?

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