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| Personal Health Record |
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by Victor N. Moturi, MBA, RHIA - January 30, 2012
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Ease of Use
My Personal Health Record (PHR) provider is Zebra Health. My first encounter with Zebra Health PHR needed utilization of browsing. The registration process entailed easy 5 seconds steps of filling in basic identification information and setting your password and username. Incase of any difficult Zebra Health has online support services and can be contacted at an instant by e-mail. The outcome of my registration process is below:
Ones you log into Zebra Health, it has hyperlinks to news on health, discussion community on healthcare, my health record, find a doctor hyperlink, a portal of searching information on health care and a site for other health information.
My interest was on “my health record.” The enrollment procedure took less than 5 minutes. Entry into my personal health record will be easy. I will just need to type in from my paper health record since my physician does not use an Electronic Health Record.
Below is the appearance of the Zebra Health Registration page for enrolled clients:
“Zebra Health has in place appropriate physical, electronic, procedural and managerial safeguards to protect all information that is submitted or transmitted to their site. They maintain multiple copies of backup data at their physical location as well as at a secure offsite. Their data security plans are reviewed regularly and revised as technology and security needs change” (Zebra Health).
“The Zebra Health site relies on the implementation of 128 bit RSA @ public key cryptography to protect data and personal information provided to them via the internet.
This encryption is deployed by using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or by use of the secure ICA client. Their goal is to maintain HIPAA STD for healthcare data privacy and transmission” (Zebra Health).
Zebra Health takes reports of abuse seriously. In order for them take appropriate action one has to give the following information: Date and Time, Detailed Description of Abuse, URL Where Abuse was Discovered (If applicable), Your User Name (If registered), Screen Capture of the Abuse, and Other relevant information
Comprehensiveness
Zebra Health contains the main Continuity of Care Record (CCR) standard elements. These elements are similar to those endorsed by the PHR advocacy group “Connecting for Health”. They include: Personal and demographic information, emergency contacts, insurance information, problem lists, medications/allergies, immunizations, labs and tests, hospitalizations /surgeries, Advanced directive form, Spiritual affiliation/considerations and Care plan. This will promote interoperability.
Accessibility
When patients are receiving emergency services it is possible they might not remember all their health care information. They can refer the physician to their medical record on the internet. The patient should provide her password for the physician to access her online personal medical record. The physician will find her medication list and her medication allergies.
Zebra Health Personal Health Record is capable of performing the following core function defined by Institute of Medicine (IOM):
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Health Information and Data:
Zebra Health contains my medication list, allergies, demographics, clinical narratives and laboratory test results. This improves the accessibility of my health information.
Zebra Health has automated display of previous results which makes it possible to reduce redundant and additional testing. The patient medical history can be accessed more easily by the provider. This allows for quicker recognition and treatment of medical conditions.” Access to electronic consults and patient consults can establish critical linkages and improve coordination among multiple providers, as well as between provider and patient” (Gartee).
With PHR, errors in medication dose and frequency are reduced. Information on drug allergy is easily accessible from your PHR.
Zebra Health educates their clients on health. It has a portal of searching information on health care and a site for other health information. This improves control on chronic illnesses. In addition to that it facilitates communication among providers and patients. It has a list of physicians at your immediate vicinity and provides the address and phone numbers to the physicians offices.
The adoption of a Personal Health Record contributes to how a person participates in their own health care. An individual is capable of monitoring their health issues, adopt a healthy lifestyle and easily communicate to their health care provider. PHR can improve the quality, accessibility and the cost of health care.
Victor is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) since 2009. He has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Health Care Administration Concentration and a Bachelor of Science in Health Services and Health Information Management.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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