With New Software, Medical Histories Can be Kept at Home
In Diabetes Today
24-JUL-2006
With New Software, Medical Histories Can be Kept at Home
Lewis Ballew has diabetes and is waiting for a heart transplant. He
tried keeping track of his complicated 10-year medical history on
computer spreadsheets and lists, but he never had all his health
information in one place.
Neither did his doctors - cardiology test results, glucose levels and
prescriptions could be spread across several floors of the hospital -
until now.
Ballew now uses Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s computer
software to put all his health data on his home computer. The
software, called Personal Health Manager, is free and available to
anyone.
Keeping personal health records is important not only for the
critically ill, but also for anyone who wants to be prepared in an
emergency. Even families who just want to streamline the kids’ shot
records for school enrollment will find the software handy.
Jefferson’s program was developed by software maker CapMed and is one
of several now on the market for home computers, in addition to online
health record services or small "take it with you" devices pre-loaded
with health-tracking software. These come in the form of USB storage
units, called "flash drives" or "thumb drives."
"With this tool, you can keep track of the whole family’s information,
so if you care for a parent, you can put [their records] in along with
your spouse and children," says Monica Doyle, director of interactive
marketing at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. "Our idea was to
empower patients to take control of their own health."
Most personal health-record tools require you to enter your own
information. To create a history, ask your doctor for a copy of past
records. Once it is entered, you can also print your medical history
as a cheat sheet for filling out that stack of forms stuffed in a
clipboard at the doctor’s office.
In the future, doctors may be able to add new information directly to
your electronic file, which could be stored on the Internet (if the
security can be worked out) or on a personal "health key" that hangs
on a keychain or fits in a pocket. A keychain health record called the
LifeKey by Sytec Health is on the market; customers request that their
doctors release medical records to Sytec, which then scans the
documents onto the LifeKey.
For now, most health record software is fairly painless to use. Once
the basics of allergies, past conditions, and immunizations are
covered, you can also enter health factors to track over time, such as
weight, glucose, or even marathon training times. The Jefferson
program makes charts to monitor your progress.
Plus, your computer can remind you to schedule next year’s appointment
or to go to the dentist next week.
But where it can be most critical is if all your medical records are lost.
After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people were left stranded
without even basic prescription information.
"After Hurricane Isabel [in 2003], we had cancer patients who didn’t
know what chemotherapy drugs they were on," said Nancy
Davenport-Ennis, chief executive officer of the Patient Advocate
Foundation, a nonprofit based in Newport News, Va.
Davenport-Ennis is part of a federal commission to reach President
Bush’s call for most Americans to have electronic health records
within 10 years. Until then, it is up to consumers to do their own
bookkeeping.
"If there’s a tragedy and my wife is asked for information and she
doesn’t know all this verbatim, she can go to my computer and get it,"
Ballew said.
Tracking Your Records
To get a free copy of Jefferson Hospital’s Personal Health Manager
software, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW or visit www.jeffersonhospital.org.
Another option is to print out the "Keep It With You" form from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available at
www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/ hurricanes/katrina/kiwy.asp. Keep it in a
sealed plastic bag ready for an emergency.
See www.myphr.com for information on personal health records and lists
of both free and commercial software and Web-based tools.
The Abington Memorial Hospital Web site has a "My Health" tool that
lets you track personal health information online. Visit
www.amh.org/body.cfm?id32
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"Tread with gentleness and respect on the Sacred Land: within it are