Personal Health Records and Patient Portals: Complete Guide to Managing Your Medical Information

Managing your healthcare in today’s complex medical system can feel overwhelming. Between multiple doctors, various prescriptions, lab results, and medical appointments, keeping track of your health information is challenging. This is where personal health records (PHRs) and patient portals become invaluable tools for taking control of your health management.

Whether you’re managing a chronic condition, coordinating care among multiple specialists, or simply wanting to stay organized about your family’s health, understanding how to use personal health records and patient portals effectively can transform your healthcare experience.

What Is a Personal Health Record?

A personal health record (PHR) is a comprehensive collection of your health and medical information that you control and maintain. Unlike medical records kept by your healthcare providers, a PHR is managed by you and can include information from all your healthcare sources in one accessible location.

Think of it as your personal health database. While you might already keep some health information—perhaps vaccination records, a list of medications, or paperwork from doctor visits—an organized PHR brings all these elements together in a systematic, easily accessible format.

Personal health records can be paper-based, but electronic PHRs offer significant advantages. With an electronic PHR, you can access your health information anytime, anywhere using a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access. This accessibility becomes especially valuable during emergencies or when seeking care from new healthcare providers.

Understanding Patient Portals

Patient portals are secure online platforms provided by healthcare organizations that give you electronic access to your medical records. These portals connect directly to your healthcare provider’s electronic health record (EHR) system, creating a bridge between you and your medical team.

Most patient portals allow you to:

• View test results and lab reports
• Access visit summaries and clinical notes
• Request prescription refills
• Schedule appointments
• Send secure messages to your healthcare team
• Review and pay medical bills
• Update your contact information and insurance details

Patient portals essentially function as PHRs that are connected to your healthcare provider’s system, offering the convenience of automatic updates whenever new information is added to your medical record.

The Difference Between PHRs, EHRs, and Patient Portals

Understanding the distinction between these three systems helps clarify how they work together:

Electronic Health Records (EHRs): These are comprehensive digital records maintained by healthcare providers, hospitals, and health systems. EHRs contain detailed clinical information including diagnoses, treatment plans, test results, medications, and provider notes. Healthcare professionals use EHRs to document care and coordinate treatment. You don’t typically have direct access to edit or add information to an EHR.

Personal Health Records (PHRs): These are health records that you create and maintain yourself. You control what information is included and who can access it. PHRs can include information from multiple healthcare providers, as well as personal health data you track at home, such as exercise habits, diet, or home blood pressure readings.

Patient Portals: These serve as a window into your EHR, giving you view-only or limited editing access to your medical records maintained by a specific healthcare organization. Some portals allow you to add certain information, such as home monitoring data, effectively functioning as a hybrid between an EHR and a PHR.

Essential Information to Include in Your Personal Health Record

A comprehensive personal health record should include all information relevant to your health and healthcare. Start with these fundamental elements:

Personal Identification and Contact Information

• Full legal name and date of birth
• Contact information
• Emergency contacts with phone numbers
• Health insurance information including policy numbers

Healthcare Provider Information

• Names, specialties, and contact details for all healthcare providers
• Pharmacy name, address, and phone number
• Preferred hospital or medical facility

Medical History

• Chronic conditions and ongoing health problems
• Past illnesses and dates of diagnosis
• Surgical history with dates and types of procedures
• Hospitalizations and emergency room visits
• Significant injuries or accidents

Medications and Allergies

• Current medications including dosages and frequency
• Over-the-counter medications and supplements
• Medication allergies and adverse reactions
• Environmental and food allergies

Test Results and Procedures

• Recent lab results with dates
• Imaging reports (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans)
• Screening tests (mammograms, colonoscopies, bone density scans)
• Vaccination history

Family Health History

• Significant health conditions in immediate family members
• Genetic or hereditary conditions
• Causes of death for deceased family members

Lifestyle and Wellness Information

• Exercise routines and physical activity levels
• Dietary habits and restrictions
• Tobacco, alcohol, or substance use
• Mental health information
• Sleep patterns
• Home monitoring data (blood pressure, blood sugar, weight)

Legal and Advanced Planning Documents

• Living will
• Healthcare power of attorney
• Advance directives
• Organ donation preferences

Benefits of Maintaining a Personal Health Record

Investing time in creating and maintaining a personal health record offers numerous advantages that can improve your healthcare experience and outcomes:

Enhanced Communication with Healthcare Providers

When you have all your health information organized and readily available, you can provide complete, accurate information to healthcare providers quickly. This is particularly valuable when seeing a new specialist, visiting an urgent care center, or receiving emergency treatment. Having immediate access to your medication list, allergies, and medical history can prevent dangerous drug interactions and ensure appropriate treatment.

Better Care Coordination

If you see multiple healthcare providers who use different EHR systems, your PHR becomes the central hub where all your health information comes together. This comprehensive view helps you and your healthcare team understand the full picture of your health, reducing the risk of duplicated tests or conflicting treatments.

Improved Health Management

A PHR empowers you to take an active role in managing your health. You can track progress toward health goals, monitor chronic conditions, and identify patterns that might be important. For example, tracking blood pressure readings over time can help you and your doctor assess whether treatments are working effectively.

More Productive Healthcare Visits

Arriving at appointments with organized information allows you to make the most of your time with healthcare providers. You can quickly reference when symptoms started, what treatments you’ve tried, or changes in your condition since your last visit. This efficiency helps healthcare providers make better-informed decisions about your care.

Increased Patient Engagement

Research shows that patients who actively maintain health records tend to be more engaged in their healthcare. They’re more likely to follow treatment plans, attend preventive care appointments, and make informed decisions about their health. This engagement often leads to better health outcomes.

Emergency Preparedness

In emergency situations, having critical health information immediately available can be lifesaving. Emergency responders and healthcare providers can quickly access information about allergies, current medications, and existing conditions, enabling them to provide appropriate care without delay.

Reduced Healthcare Costs

By preventing duplicated tests, avoiding drug interactions, and promoting better health management, PHRs can help reduce unnecessary healthcare expenses. Having accurate medication lists also helps ensure you’re not prescribed medications you’re allergic to or that might interact dangerously with your current medications.

Choosing the Right Personal Health Record System

Several options exist for maintaining your personal health record, each with distinct advantages:

Provider-Connected Patient Portals

If your primary healthcare provider offers a patient portal, this is often the best starting point. These portals automatically populate with information from your medical visits, test results, and prescriptions, reducing the manual data entry required. Many healthcare systems now offer patient portals as standard features.

Standalone PHR Applications

Various companies offer personal health record applications that aren’t connected to specific healthcare providers. These give you complete control over your information and allow you to include data from multiple sources. Look for applications that are user-friendly, secure, and compatible with your devices.

Health Information Exchanges

Some regions have health information exchanges (HIEs) that allow healthcare providers to share patient information across different systems. While you might not directly access an HIE, understanding whether your providers participate can help you understand how your information flows between them.

Mobile Health Applications

Many smartphone health apps include PHR capabilities. iPhone users have the built-in Health app, while Android users can choose from numerous health record applications. These mobile solutions offer convenience and portability, though they may have limitations compared to comprehensive web-based systems.

Setting Up Medical Emergency Information on Your Phone

Modern smartphones offer built-in features that can provide crucial health information to emergency responders even when your phone is locked:

iPhone Medical ID: Found in the Health app, Medical ID allows you to enter critical information including medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, and emergency contacts. Emergency responders can access this information from the lock screen by tapping “Emergency” and then “Medical ID.”

Android Emergency Information: Android devices have similar features accessible through Settings. The exact location varies by device manufacturer, but it’s typically found under “Safety & Emergency” or “Lock Screen” settings. You can enter emergency contacts, medical information, allergies, and medications.

To maximize the effectiveness of these features:

• Keep information current and update it whenever your health situation changes
• Include critical information like severe allergies and current medications
• List multiple emergency contacts in case one isn’t available
• Consider adding your blood type if you know it
• Indicate if you’re an organ donor

These mobile emergency features complement traditional medical alert bracelets or wallet cards but offer the advantage of being easily updated and always with you.

Privacy and Security of Personal Health Records

Concerns about the privacy and security of electronic health information are understandable and important. Here’s what you need to know:

Legal Protections

In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides robust protections for health information held by healthcare providers, health plans, and their business associates. However, HIPAA doesn’t always cover standalone PHR applications that aren’t connected to healthcare providers.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act strengthened privacy protections and expanded them to include business associates of healthcare providers. Patient portals connected to healthcare providers’ EHR systems fall under HIPAA protection.

Evaluating PHR Security

When choosing a standalone PHR system, investigate its security measures:

• Look for encryption of data both in transit and at rest
• Verify that the company has a clear, publicly available privacy policy
• Check whether the service is HIPAA-compliant even if not legally required to be
• Understand who can access your information and under what circumstances
• Learn how the company handles data breaches if they occur
• Verify whether your information will be sold or shared with third parties

Your Role in Protecting Your Health Information

You play a crucial role in maintaining the security of your health records:

• Use strong, unique passwords for health portals and applications
• Enable two-factor authentication when available
• Don’t share your login credentials with others
• Log out of portals when finished, especially on shared devices
• Be cautious about accessing health information on public Wi-Fi networks
• Regularly review your accounts for unauthorized access
• Be skeptical of unsolicited emails requesting health information

Challenges and Considerations of Personal Health Records

While PHRs offer significant benefits, it’s important to understand the challenges and limitations:

Time Investment

Creating a comprehensive personal health record requires time and effort. You’ll need to gather information from various sources, enter data, and organize it systematically. The initial setup can be time-consuming, though maintenance becomes easier once the foundation is established.

Ongoing Maintenance Requirements

Unlike patient portals that update automatically, standalone PHRs require you to add new information after each healthcare interaction. This includes updating medications, adding test results, recording new diagnoses, or noting changes in your health status. Developing a routine for updating your PHR helps ensure it remains current and useful.

Information Accuracy

The accuracy of your PHR depends on the information you enter. Errors can occur during data entry or when transferring information from medical documents. Even with patient portals, mistakes can happen in the original medical record. It’s important to review information carefully and report any errors to your healthcare provider.

Technology Barriers

Not everyone is comfortable with technology, and some people lack reliable internet access or appropriate devices. While this shouldn’t prevent anyone from benefiting from organized health records, it may mean that paper-based systems remain more practical for some individuals.

Incomplete Interoperability

Despite advances in healthcare technology, different EHR systems don’t always communicate seamlessly with each other or with PHR systems. This means you might not be able to automatically import all your health information from all your providers into a single PHR, requiring more manual data entry.

Getting Started with Your Personal Health Record

Ready to create your personal health record? Follow these steps to get started:

Step 1: Choose Your PHR Platform

Start by checking whether your primary healthcare provider offers a patient portal. If so, register for access and explore its features. This typically requires contacting the provider’s office, verifying your identity, and setting up your account credentials.

If your provider doesn’t offer a portal, or if you want additional functionality, research standalone PHR applications. Consider factors like ease of use, security features, cost, and compatibility with your devices.

Step 2: Gather Your Health Information

Collect health information from various sources:

• Request copies of medical records from healthcare providers
• Gather prescription bottles or medication lists from your pharmacy
• Collect reports from recent tests or procedures
• Create a family health history by talking with relatives
• Compile immunization records, especially if you have children
• Locate important documents like advance directives

Step 3: Enter Your Information

Begin entering information into your chosen PHR system. Start with the most critical information:

• Current medications and allergies
• Active health conditions
• Emergency contacts
• Primary healthcare providers

Then add additional details as time permits. You don’t need to complete everything at once—building your PHR can be an ongoing process.

Step 4: Establish an Update Routine

Develop habits that keep your PHR current:

• Update medication information whenever prescriptions change
• Add test results after receiving them
• Record new diagnoses or health conditions
• Update provider information if you change doctors
• Review and refresh all information at least annually

Step 5: Share Appropriately

Determine who should have access to your health information and how you’ll share it. You might want to:

• Grant access to family members who help with your healthcare
• Share specific information with caregivers
• Bring printed summaries to appointments with new specialists
• Provide temporary access to healthcare providers as needed

Step 6: Utilize Your PHR Effectively

Make your PHR an active tool in your healthcare:

• Review it before medical appointments to prepare questions
• Use it to track symptoms or health changes over time
• Reference it when filling out medical forms
• Access it during travel in case you need medical care away from home
• Use portal messaging features to communicate with providers between visits

Maximizing the Value of Patient Portals

If you have access to a patient portal, take full advantage of its features:

Explore All Available Features

Patient portals often include more capabilities than people realize. Common features include:

• Test result viewing, often with explanatory information
• Visit summaries that recap what was discussed during appointments
• Educational materials tailored to your health conditions
• Prescription refill requests
• Appointment scheduling and reminders
• Secure messaging with your healthcare team
• Billing and payment options
• Proxy access for caregivers or parents of minor children

Use Secure Messaging Effectively

Many patient portals include secure messaging systems that allow communication with your healthcare team. Use this feature for:

• Non-urgent questions about medications or treatments
• Follow-up questions after appointments
• Reporting how treatments are working
• Requesting referrals or documentation
• Clarifying instructions or recommendations

Remember that secure messaging isn’t appropriate for urgent medical issues—always call your provider or seek emergency care for serious concerns.

Check Your Portal Regularly

Make a habit of logging into your patient portal regularly to:

• Review new test results as they become available
• Read messages from your healthcare team
• Check for appointment reminders
• Verify that information is accurate
• Stay informed about your health status

Personal Health Records for Special Situations

Managing Chronic Conditions

If you have one or more chronic conditions, your PHR becomes even more valuable. Use it to track symptoms, monitor vital signs, record medication changes, and note how different factors affect your condition. This detailed tracking helps you and your healthcare team identify patterns and adjust treatment approaches as needed.

Coordinating Care Among Multiple Providers

When seeing multiple specialists, a PHR ensures everyone has access to the same information. Before appointments, review your PHR and bring a printed summary if needed. Make sure each specialist knows about treatments prescribed by others to avoid conflicts or duplications.

Managing Family Health Information

Parents and caregivers often manage health records for multiple family members. Many PHR systems and patient portals allow proxy access, enabling you to manage records for children or other dependents. Keep separate records for each person, but consider maintaining a master document of family health history that everyone can reference.

Traveling with Health Information

When traveling, especially internationally, having digital access to your health information provides peace of mind. Before trips:

• Ensure your PHR is current and accessible from your mobile device
• Create a printed summary of critical information to carry with you
• Know how to access emergency medical services in your destination
• Carry copies of prescriptions for medications you’re traveling with
• Update your emergency contacts if they’ll change during travel

Preparing for Surgery or Procedures

Before scheduled surgeries or procedures, your healthcare team will need comprehensive health information. Your PHR helps ensure nothing is overlooked. Share information about all medications, supplements, allergies, and previous reactions to anesthesia or other treatments.

The Future of Personal Health Records

Personal health record technology continues to evolve, with several trends shaping the future:

Increased Interoperability

Healthcare organizations are working toward better interoperability—the ability of different systems to exchange and use health information. Federal regulations increasingly require healthcare providers to give patients access to their health information in electronic formats and to facilitate information sharing between systems.

Integration with Wearable Devices

Fitness trackers, smartwatches, and other wearable devices generate health-related data about activity levels, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more. Future PHR systems will likely integrate this data more seamlessly, providing comprehensive pictures of both clinical health information and daily wellness metrics.

Artificial Intelligence and Analytics

AI-powered tools may soon help analyze PHR data to identify health trends, predict potential problems, or provide personalized health recommendations. These technologies could help patients and providers make more informed decisions based on patterns in health data.

Enhanced Patient Control

Emerging technologies like blockchain may give patients even greater control over their health information, including detailed management of who can access specific pieces of information and when. This could balance the benefits of information sharing with enhanced privacy protection.

Taking Control of Your Health Information

Creating and maintaining a personal health record or actively using a patient portal represents an investment in your health. While it requires some time and effort, the benefits—better communication with healthcare providers, improved care coordination, enhanced health management, and greater preparedness for emergencies—make it worthwhile.

Start simply by registering for any available patient portals and entering the most critical information. Build your PHR gradually, adding details as you have time. Develop routines for keeping information current. And most importantly, use your PHR actively—bring it to appointments, reference it when making health decisions, and share it with healthcare providers and family members as appropriate.

Your health information is valuable. Organizing it, protecting it, and using it effectively empowers you to be an active participant in your healthcare, leading to better outcomes and greater satisfaction with your medical care.

Remember, if you have questions about medications, treatments, or any aspect of your healthcare, always consult with your healthcare provider. They can provide personalized guidance based on your complete health situation and help you make informed decisions about your care.