The Medical Strategist

Dear Reader,

There has been some resistance to PHRs in the past. One of the most vocal objections has been "Can I trust the information in the PHR? Or Can I base an opinion on information from the PHR?"

This is really unfounded. For ages, patients have been asked to enter a self-history and family history in hard copy, which has been part of the medical record.

Incorporating PHRs into a clinical system has many advantages:
· Includes important details that might be forgotten to relay to the M.D.
· Can be reviewed by the M.D. prior to the visit
· Saves time so that the M.D. or medical staff does not have to inquire about history at the time of the visit
· Blood pressure and glucose readings can be entered with monitor hookups for referencing at the office visit
· Connects people to their physicians regardless of where prior treatment was rendered.

Having PHRs and EMRs integrated will be crucial to the success of whichever system you choose. Information must be easily retrievable by both the patient and the healthcare providers responsible for the patient's health. Too, it must be distinguishable between patient and physician entries.

Several types of PHRs have sprung up. When your patients ask you about it, which one will you recommend?

Microsoft HealthVault vs. Google Health: Face-Off

PHR comparison

User Centric, Inc. did an independent study in January 2009, with 30 participants using both Microsoft and Google PHR systems.
Though the study found that neither application was without flaws, which gave user difficulty, participants preferred Google Health due to a greater ease of health data entry and more familiar medical terms.

Since the study however, Microsoft has pulled ahead due to the versatility of devices and systems.

Advanced software technology lets smart phone and PDA users quickly access their medical records in an emergency. In one year, a program developed at the University of California in San Diego, will be available. Technology will be enhanced to display 3D pictures like MRI and X-ray scans improving the ability of healthcare providers to make better care decisions.

Microsoft HealthVault:
· Interoperable platform centered on the connectivity of health and fitness applications and devices
· Over 50 live partner implementations
· Over 50 compatible devices
· Built for family-oriented healthcare situations
· An account can have several records each for a family member
· Allows consumers to share data with physicians and loved ones at a granular level
· Supports over 70 data types, including support for CCR/CCD

Google Health: · PHR-aggregator on the Google platform
· Fewer live partner implementations
· Does not support devices yet
· Built to serve an individual managing his/her own health
· Data sharing not at the granular level
· Less than 10 data types in CCR

Printed with permission by the Microsoft HealthVault team

Extremely helpful features of both Microsoft and Google systems allow:
· Sharing of medical records
· Importing medical records
· Tracking medical history
· Finding out medication interactions
· Retrieving personalized information based on your personal profile
· Reading information related to various diseases or postoperative care

PHRs are Useful but Security May be an Issue

Can Your Medical Identity Be Stolen?

It is clear from qualitative studies that patients are willing to trade privacy concessions for medical record transparency- having full access to their medical records.

Research headed by Jan Walker from Harvard Medical School reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine's June issue. It demonstrated that patients feel completely at ease with computers playing a key role in their care and supplying medical information to them such as medication side effects and postoperative instructions. They want to be monitored with feedback to allow them more personal empowerment over their healthcare.

As President Obama pushes for healthcare reform and conversion to electronic medical records, computerized personal health records will naturally be the accepted standard.

But what cost and danger will we be creating?
As Congress plans to debate patient privacy issues, is this to become a computer hacker's delight?

The World Privacy Forum, a non profit research group, found that there have been more than 20,000 reports of medical identity theft in the past 15 years.

Medical services or medications are obtained using someone else's identity information like insurance cards along with the name and social security number without the victim being aware of this.

The felony causes false entries into existing medical records and may also include fictitious records for the victim in multiple healthcare sites.

Damage is twofold. The victim is plagued with a hefty financial burden for the medical services that were never received. Worse yet, the victim may be in physical jeopardy when the fictitious record entries cause the wrong treatment.

The World Privacy Forum Tips for Theft Prevention:
· Get a copy of medical records to compare with future ones for tamper resistance
· Review all Explanation of Benefits from the insurance provider
· Secure medical and prescription benefit cards in a safe place
· Healthcare employees need to be taught careful practices to prevent easy identity access

Insurance providers need to be notified immediately of suspicious activity or false transactions with follow through to the special investigations unit.

Medical identity theft needs to be taken seriously. The false data in records can cause both harm and grief for many years.

Subscribers and Business Friends

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Reprinted by permission of Internet copywriter Barbara Hales. For more information on innovations and tips, subscribe to the Medical Strategist at:
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