Personal Health Record (PHR)

Your Personal Health Record (PHR) is an electronic record of your health information. This may include any medical conditions, food, drug or insect allergies, prescriptive medication you may be taking, and any information you request as a result of hospital visits or seeing your doctor. Your PHR can be stored in one or more places that are convenient to you so that you can share the information with others as you see fit. You control how the information in your PHR is used and who can access it.

How would a PHR work for you?

Most importantly, in a emergency, your PHR gives Emergency Medical Responders the critical information they need to quickly and accurately treat you with the best care, by having the access to information about your medications, allergies, medical conditions as well as having your “In Case of an Emergency” contact information.

A PHR can help keep all your health information in one centralized location, making it easier to find and share information about your historical as well as your recent medical check ups and conditions. This information is then accessible for your family, your physicians, Emergency Medical Responders, hospitals and other health care providers. A PHR is also helpful in avoiding potential duplications of tests and procedures, saving you both time and money. We put you in control of your health information as well as having the ability to take your PHR with you when you are on the go.

• By providing you with an Internet-based PHR, you have access to your PHR anywhere at any time.
• You update your health information when it changes so that your PHR is always current.
• Your PHR helps in an emergency situation, by having the information accessible to Emergency Medical Responders.

Is a Personal Health Record the same as an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) or Electronic Health Record (EHR)?

A PHR is not the same thing as an Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Record (EMR). A PHR gives YOU total control of who can see or use the information, while the doctor, hospital or other health service entity controls the information in the EHR/EMR.

Is my health information private and secure in a PHR?

In a PHR, your information is protected from being viewed without your consent or authorization by secure technology. You’ll have your own unique user ID and password, and you can control who can see the information in your PHR.

Universal Medical Data’s website fall under the jurisdiction of the FTC's Health Breach Notification Rule and is fully compliant. Additionally, medical data is transferred over a 256-bit encryption connection with a secure 2048-bit SSL encryption certificate, the same security that the banks use.

Please review our Terms of Service as well as our Privacy Policy.

For information related to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, such as protection of patient records, filing a privacy complaint or other questions, visit Office for Civil Rights - HIPAA on the web.

What kind of information should I keep in a PHR?

A PHR should store as much of the personal and health information you wish to keep in one place. At a minimum your PHR should included your current personal information (your name, birth date, home or work address for identification purposes. Also include any allergies to food, drugs or insects, any prescription medication you are currently taking and any pertinent medical conditions.

Additionally, you should include any special information that is important to you, such as:

• Names and phone numbers of people who should be contacted, In Case of Emergency (ICE)
• Names, addresses, and phone numbers of your doctors, including specialists and dentists
• Health insurance information, like the name of your insurance company and key phone numbers for service (if you have other insurance in addition to Medicare)
• Current medications and dosages
• Allergies (to foods, drugs, insects and other substances)
• Important events, dates, and hereditary conditions in your family history
• A list and dates of significant illnesses and surgical procedures
• Results from recent doctor visits
• Important tests results; eye and dental records, immunization records
• Any information you want to include about your health - such as your exercise regimen, any over-the-counter or herbal medications you take and any counseling you may receive.
• List if you are an organ donor
• List if you have a living will and make sure the name of the person(s) contact information of who can produce this document if it becomes necessary. (lawyer, legal guardian, family members, etc.)

How do I create my PHR?
Simply, click on the Get Started button or to learn more, watch the video.