Building a Personal Health Record

The value of collecting health information in one place.

Federal Citizen Information Center

Your personal health information is a valuable resource to you, your family, and healthcare professionals who provide treatment and care. However, in most cases, a complete record of your personal health information cannot be found in any single location or consistent format.

What Should Be Part of a Personal Health Record?

A Personal Health Record is a collection of important information about your health or the health of someone you are caring for, such as a parent or a child. Information to be included in a PHR should include (but not be limited to):

• Personal identification (including name and birth date)
• People to contact in case of an emergency
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of the physician, dentist, eye doctor, and any other specialists
• Health insurance information
• Living wills, advance directives, or medical power of attorney
• List and dates of significant illnesses, injuries and surgical procedures
• Current medications and dosages
• Allergies or sensitivities to drugs or materials (such as latex)
• Hereditary conditions in the family history
• Important test results
• Organ donor authorization

Storing Information

You are encouraged to begin tracking your health information in whatever format works best for you – even if the choice is paper. However, electronic PHRs may be more efficient than paper, especially since more physicians are moving to electronic health records. There are a few different ways to build and maintain a PHR:

• Gather the information in a file folder.
• Compile the information on a computer disk or in a memory flash device for the USB port.
• Examine Internet-based services that offer secure servers, allowing you to enter and have access to your information. (Some of these are free while others may charge a subscription fee.)

Whatever format you choose, the important thing is to have a single source of personal health information. The health record should always be stored in a secure manner, just as you would store other confidential personal information.

If You Are a Caregiver

If you are a caregiver for someone else, don't assume you automatically have rights to that person's information, even if you are an immediate family member. If you need access to another adult's information, it is important to obtain permission from the patient to access his/her health records, as well as for the patient to authorize healthcare personnel to share health information with you.

This article, and hundreds more, can be found on the NEA Member Benefits web site in the “Member Library” section: http://www.neamb.com/consumer_articles.jsp