Why you should have a personal health record (PHR) and what to keep in it

How this article can help you:
Everyone should have a personal health record (PHR) because they can help you better manage your health and healthcare. This article will help answer the following questions:

• What is a PHR?
• Why you should have a PHR
• Why it’s important to keep your PHR up-to-date
• What you should include in your PHR
• Where to store your PHR

What is a PHR?

A PHR is an electronic copy of your medical information. You never know when you’ll need this information, so it’s good to have a PHR stored on your computer, phone, or tablet, for easy access.

Some insurance companies, HMOs, and medical provider groups offer PHRs to their members.

Why you should have a PHR

Here are a few reasons why you should have a PHR:

• Each doctor you visit has at least part of your medical record, but you can’t be sure he or she has all of it. Doctors need as much information as possible in order to give you the care that is best for
• You can potentially save money by avoiding unnecessary tests and treatments.
• You can avoid negative interactions between different medications. If you see multiple doctors, you may be given different medications from each of them. Each doctor may not know what the other doctor prescribed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the different medications you were given may cause bad side effects when used at the same time. If you have a written record of all the medications you are taking, it will be easier to avoid this problem.
• If there is a medical emergency, your personal health record may save your life. If those close to you know how to access your PHR, they can give important information like your allergies, medical history, and medications to the doctors treating you.
• If you are traveling and have a health problem, your personal health record can save you time. The doctor you see on your trip will have access to all the information in your PHR and won’t have to contact your doctors back home.
• You can use your PHR to manage and track your health over time. This feature is especially helpful for people who have chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Why it’s important to keep your PHR up-to-date

In order to give you the best care, your doctor needs to know as much as possible about your medical history. PHRs help you and your doctor make informed medical decisions.

Sometimes doctors don’t have all the information they need. They may have a hard time remembering all the information you gave them on your first visit. Or maybe another doctor diagnosed you with a condition and/or prescribed you a medication that your first doctor needs to know about. By keeping an up-to-date PHR with you, you can help your doctor fill in any gaps.

Having an up-to-date PHR is not only convenient for doctor visits, but can help save your life in case of emergency.

What you should include in your PHR

Here are the main points to include:

• Name and date of birth
• Medications: complete list
  • Full name
  • Dosage
  • Instructions on how to take your medication (for example: time of day, with or without food)
  • Who prescribed the medication, and why
  • Vitamins, herbal supplements and other non-Western medications
  • When your prescription was last updated
• Allergies:
  • Full name of food, material, or medication
  • Type of reaction (for example: rash, angioedema (swelling under the skin), anaphylaxis (life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction))
• Doctors:
  • The names of your family doctors and specialists: only provide phone numbers for most frequently visited doctors
• Surgeries
  • Name of surgery
  • Date of surgery
  • Name of surgeon
  • Site of surgery (left or right side of the body)
• Most recent immunizations/vaccinations (include the date you received each immunization)
  • TdaP (tetanus shot)
  • Influenza (flu shot)
  • Shingles vaccine (varicella shot)
  • Pneumovax (pneumonia shot)
• Medical conditions
  • Start date, remission date (date cured)
  • Only include chronic (long term) diseases and conditions (do not include the flu, colds, or sinus infections)
• The pharmacy you use, including address, fax, and phone number
• Pertinent family history: ONLY immediate family (mom, dad, grandparents, siblings)
  • Cancer (specify type if possible)
  • Autoimmune diseases (for example: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, kidney disease)
  • Mental health conditions (for example: depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
• Copy of your EKG (especially if you have a history of heart problems)

Since this list can be quite long if your history is extensive, you may want to also keep a shorter copy of your PHR, including medications, a list of your doctors, and a list of your emergency contacts. You should keep this shorter version of your PHR in your wallet in the event of an emergency.

Ask your doctor what else you might want to include in your PHR.

Where to store your personal health record:

Most people keep their personal health record online, but you might also want to keep a paper copy, just in case.

You might also want other people, like family or close friends, to have access to your PHR. You’ll have to provide written authorization for another person to have access to your PHR. You will need to give this authorization to all your healthcare providers.

Note: Personal health records (PHRs) are different from electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs). Only you decide what goes into your PHR. EMRs and EHRs, on the other hand, are operated by your doctor, hospital, or health insurance company.

The bottom line:

PHRs can better help you manage your health and healthcare. PHRs help put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your health! Create one for you and your family members.