Brande Green
3/18/2011
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ALHT 110 91 – Midterm Paper
What IS a Personal Health Record (PHR)?
By Brande Green
A new study suggests that a change in the way we keep health records could save billions. The study found that providing interoperable PHRs to 80% of the US population would cost $3.7 billion in startup costs and $1.9 billion in annual maintenance costs. According to the report from the Center for Information Technology Leadership at Partners Healthcare System in Boston, widespread use of PHRs could save the US healthcare industry between $13 and $21 billion a year. (www.myPHR.com)
This past year, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has come to realize that this diagnosis also comes with a lot of medical documentation that sometimes has not been forwarded to her oncologist or family physician. After having read about the PHR, it came to my mind just how important and convenient having a Personal Health Record could be. I decided to search the Internet to see just what developing a PHR would take and how difficult it would be. After searching the AHIMA website, I was forwarded to a unique site at www.myPHR.com and on this site I found very helpful information regarding the steps one person should take to develop their own PHR and the benefits it would serve.
The definition of a PHR according to AHIMA, is The personal health record (PHR) is an electronic, universally available, lifelong resource of health information needed by individuals to make health decisions. Individuals own and manage the information in the PHR, which comes from healthcare providers and the individual. The PHR is maintained in a secure and private environment, with the individual determining rights of access. The PHR is separate from and does not replace the legal record of any provider. (www.perspectives.ahima.org)
There are many options when it comes to creating your own PHR. A person may create
Cited: Why should you keep a personal health record? (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.myphr.com/StartaPHR/why_keep_a_phr.aspx Definition of PHR (n.d.). Retrieved from http://perspectives.ahima.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196&Itemid=56