Omnimedix Institute

Personal Health Record (PHR) Principles

Here are some principles to which we at Omnimedix Institute believe PHRs should adhere.

1. Personal

“Let's talk about me.”

Your PHR and the medical information in it should belong to you and not to your employer, your insurance company, your doctor or any other person or institution.

2. Portable

“On the web / On a device / On a five pound block of ice.”

  • You should be able to see and use your PHR whenever and wherever you choose.
  • You should be able to view your health record on portable devices and over secure internet connections.

3. Private

"Privacy is of the Essence.”

  • You control access.
  • You decide who sees your medical data and who does not see it.
  • Only you can give access control to others.

4. Ready for an Emergency

"Always Prepared"

You should be able to preauthorize access to selected emergency medical information for use when you are unable to give consent.

5. Permanent

“Long Life, Long Memory”

  • Safe from Disasters - You should never have to worry about your medical data getting lost or damaged. Your health facts should be encrypted, distributed and redundant.
  • Long Memory - Your PHR should be lifelong. Things that happened a long time ago can help your doctor give you better care today. Things that happen today may matter tomorrow.

6. Supporting You as a Caregiver

“The Circle of Responsibility”

A PHR should help you give the care your loved ones need.

People caring for children, elderly parents and others need a way of keeping track of each person they are responsible for, including their medications, appointments, and other medical data.

7. Doctor Friendly

“Plays Well with Doctors”

  • Your PHR should enable you to have clearer and more helpful conversations with your doctor or health care provider.
  • Doctors should be able to trust and use the information in your PHR.
  • You choose what information you want to share from your PHR.

8. Comprehensive and Timely

“I want it all and I want it today.”

Your health involves doctors, medicines, laboratory tests, exercise, diet and more, and your records exist in electronic form and on paper. Therefore...

  • Your PHR should hold information about you from all the different places, people and institutions that hold it, including your own notes and comments.
  • The information in your PHR should be as up-to-date as possible.

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No Personal Health Record can do all of these things for you yet. But a PHR worthy of the name should do as many of these things as possible. Omnimedix Institute and many others are working to make Personal Health Records live up to the principles described here.

Miles Hochstein

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