Questions and Answers About
iHealthRecord™
Overview
What is an iHealthRecord and why it is it a good idea to have one?
The iHealthRecord is a secure and confidential interactive personal health record. This service not only stores personal health information for you and your family, it provides interactive programs that help you better understand medical conditions and medications--all at no cost to you!
You can create an iHealthRecord to manage and share your personal health information with your physician, family members, a caregiver, or in the event of an emergency.
The iHealthRecord service includes:
- A secure personal health record repository for all of your health information (or that of a loved one), stored in one convenient and secure place.
- Secure email and Online Consultation with your doctor (assuming he/she offers these services).
- Automatic, same-day FDA product warning and recall alerts sent directly to you, based on the medications and medical devices you list in your iHealthRecord
- Automatic enrollment in health education programs, written by medical societies and other national experts including the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, the FDA, CDC and others, that are specific to your medications or conditions.
- Quarterly online reminders to keep your iHealthRecord current.
- The ability to access the iHealthRecord during an emergency.
- Complete control over who has access to your health record. You decide who can have access to your record and for what period of time. In addition, the iHealthRecord provides you with a log of who has accessed your information, so you have complete visibility at all times.
- Accessibility from anywhere and at any time.
- A convenient iHealthRecord wallet card that provides emergency contact information and directions on how to access your iHealthRecord.
Who should have an iHealthRecord?
Everyone! While you or a family member may not have major medical conditions, there is basic health information that should be accessible at any time, from anywhere. This includes insurance information, allergies, vaccinations and emergency contact information.
In addition, the iHealthRecord provides health and wellness tips and reminders. If you or a family member takes medications or has chronic medical conditions, has been hospitalized or had surgeries, all the more reason that an iHealthRecord is needed.
What are iHealthRecord "Patient Education Programs" and why should I sign up for them?
iHealthRecord patient education programs focus on medical conditions, treatment and medication adherence, and are designed to help you better understand and manage your health. They are created using trusted medical society information or FDA-approved patient education materials. Contributing organizations include the American Heart Association, the FDA, CDC and other highly respected organizations..
Be sure to ask your physician about these important programs.
Who is using the iHealthRecord service?
Tens of thousands of Americans have already created an iHealthRecord for themselves or for a family member. Each day, new partners such as national health plans, large medical groups and hospitals, launch programs to promote and increase adoption of the iHealthRecord within their patient communities.
Privacy
Who controls the iHealthRecord and who is protecting the privacy of my personal health data?
The privacy of your iHealthRecord is overseen by the iHealth Alliance, a not-for-profit healthcare advisory organization established to protect the interests of physicians and patients.
Your health information is securely stored on the Medem Network, which was founded by the American Medical Association and other leading medical societies. Your iHealthRecord information cannot be sold or provided to any third parties without your permission.
Is my iHealthRecord truly secure, if I can access it through the Internet?
Although your medical information is available to you via the Internet, it is very secure. Just as online banking and online stock accounts are available via the Internet, but secure and only accessible by you using a user ID and password, your iHealthRecord’s security functions in the same way. Medem uses the best in industry standard technology and practices to protect your health information.
Who can view my iHealthRecord and how do I know who has seen it?
You control access to your iHealthRecord and you provide access privileges to doctors, family members or emergency personnel. You can see who has visited your iHealthRecord by using the tracking log provided by the record.
You are notified via email each day that someone accesses your iHealthRecord so you can monitor its use.
How can the iHealthRecord be free to patients?
Do you sell patient data or sell advertising?
The iHealthRecord does not sell patient data nor use advertising.
The service is funded by physician and hospital groups, health plans and other organizations who license and private label the service for their patients, and through transaction fees paid when physicians offer Online Consultations to their patients.
Functionality
How does information in my iHealthRecord get updated?
- Your iHealthRecord is something that you must own and update. It is important for you to keep your record as current as possible. To assist you with this, Medem sends out quarterly reminder emails.
- Medem is building interfaces to electronic medical records in physician offices and hospitals, as well as with health plans, to update your iHealthRecord. You decide what updates you will keep and which you don’t want to have as part of your record.
What if I build an iHealthRecord and then just forget about it?
Your iHealthRecord will send you a quarterly reminder to update your health information. Remember, the iHealthRecord helps you most, when you keep the information current and share it with your physician(s).
What if I mistype the information in my iHealthRecord; can I make changes?
Once you have created your iHealthRecord, you can make any changes you deem necessary---at any time--through the Overview page.
The Overview page contains a summary of your information, with links that take you directly to any section or any entry. This allows you to make additions, changes or to remove information quickly and easily.
Remember, you have complete control over your iHealthRecord at all times.
How does the information get to my physician?
Most people create their iHealthRecord at their own physician’s practice or hospital Web site. In doing so, your physician/hospital will be able to view your record until, or unless, you deny your physician access.
In addition you can grant access to any other third parties, including physicians and other healthcare providers, as well as family members and loved ones. All third parties to whom you grant access appear on a tracking log in your iHealthRecord until you remove them.
You can revoke access privileges to anyone at any time.
How does my iHealthRecord information get to a hospital ER in an emergency?
You are encouraged to identify a trusted third party to whom you grant access privileges to your iHealthRecord information. If possible, this person should be the same individual identified as your emergency contact in your iHealthRecord.
Medem also allows (and strongly encourages) you to print a wallet card that contains your basic information (assuming you provide it), including emergency contact, blood type and allergies.
It is strongly recommended that you keep a current copy of this wallet card with you at all times, and also share one with your emergency contact. Doing so facilitates access to important information in your health record should the need arise.
What happens to my iHealthRecord if I change jobs, insurance plans, doctors, state of residence, etc.?
Your iHealthRecord is yours to keep. It is completely transportable, and stays with you regardless of where you live, work, etc. You can grant access to your iHealthRecord to new doctors even if you move or change jobs.
How does the iHealthRecord save me time at my doctor’s office?
Physicians who offer the iHealthRecord often use it as part of their registration process for appointments.
Much of the information you currently fill out on the clipboard each time you visit your doctor is contained in the iHealthRecord. In most cases it is far more accurate in the iHealthRecord since you create it from the comfort of your home where you have access to current medications, medical files and insurance information.
The iHealthRecord also saves you time, because you only need to create it once, after which you simply review and print it prior to visiting your doctor.
Be aware that your doctor may also upload other forms to his/her practice Web site that you can download, print and fill-out prior to your appointment—instead of having to fill them out in the waiting room.
With the data stored in the iHealthRecord and other forms available from the doctor’s Medem Web site, you can register for an appointment more quickly, easily and accurately; and help your doctor put an end to clipboard care.
What are the computer/Internet requirements to use the iHealthRecord?
The iHealthRecord works best when used with Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.5 or Netscape Version 7 or higher. Both browsers support the 128-bit security encryption level required to access all the features of the iHealthRecord.
Should I print a copy of the iHealthRecord?
Multiple printing options are available.
You can print your entire iHealthRecord or just selected parts of it, for your files and for your medical chart. Since the iHealthRecord is available via the Internet from anywhere in the world, it is not as important to print the entire record to ensure access. Even so, you are strongly encouraged to print an iHealthRecord Emergency Wallet Card to keep with you at all times.
The wallet card presents your basic information (assuming you provide it), including emergency contact, blood type and allergies.
Information courtesy of Medem, Inc.