A while back I wrote something similar, with the same theme and it’s about time for another discussion in the “it’s for those guys over there” category. It’s just my simple opinion, but this is part of the whole education process going on today, getting everyone to embrace and at least try a free PHR and see what it’s all about.

What’s with those big ugly yellow pads?

imageThey talk about all their bright employees and staff and yet, the seem to conduct themselves and much of their business with methodologies from the past. Speaking here of healthcare, why do those CEOs still carry yellow pads? Have they not heard of digital notes, iPhones or Tablet PCs or PHRs?

Perhaps the CEO (or any other person of authority) might think, well the hospital will have my records, well maybe, and maybe not. Not all hospitals have electronic medical records and no amount of bellowing, screaming, pulling rank or what ever you might want to call it is going to help if you end up in an emergency room with paper charts that are not electronically connected. So, Mr. CEO is out on a camping trip in Wyoming and feels a potential heart attack coming on and is in a panic. Helicopter takes him to the closest hospital, but can he remember to quickly tell the clinicians about his medications, past procedures if needed, maybe and maybe not, but remember he said PHRs are for those guys over there.

To the ER doctor on duty, he’s not a CEO, he’s another patient who they are going to try their best to help and the physician would dearly love to have any credible information he/she could get their hands on, as many ER physicians have told me, they get a lot of “I take one blue pill, in the morning, 2 yellow ones during the day and one green one at night”….so what does the doctor have to work with? Good question, but remember “PHRs are for those guys over there.”

A quick log on to a PHR would make all this information possible. Maybe even his wife could do this too if he were in too much pain, meantime the wife is over there filling out reams of paperwork as the CEO is screaming, in pain, and still pondering his CEO status.

There are many types of PHRs on the market, some free and some you pay for.

Some PHRs require that you sit down and try to remember all your medications, procedures, histories, etc. and type them all in yourself, a task that takes time and relies on memory at some point.

Some PHRs are equipped with partners (Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault) that can make data entry from your drug stores, labs, medical devices, locate clinical trials,etc. automatic with a couple clicks. I like these the best as it makes data entry easier and it is credible data and formatted.

Many PHRs partner with Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, like the ones at the hospital and at the CVS Minute Clinics, so guess what, instant records without you having to type all the information in the record. Medicare is using them on a pilot program, and the military used both Google and HealthVault to write their PHR that integrates.

Pay very close attention here with Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, they have partners, plain and simple, get set up and click in your information from CVS, Longs, Quest Labs, the American Heart Association and more, unless you want to spend all the time doing the work yourself. The buttons below will take you to Google Health and HealthVault, so go look around and take a tour if you have not used a PHR.

PHRs a comparison and opinions

I don’t know why everyone misses the big convenience point of these 2 PHRs and still think it all has to be typed in manually?

Time for some new PHR Paradigms? These 2 PHRs are for everyone, contrary to the CEO’s saying “it’s for those guys over there” in the time of needing credible information that could be lifesaving. You could look at this one other way as well, “yes they are for those guys over there, those guys over there trying to save your life”. BD

Related Reading:

Think tank details its ideas for use of health IT records – Do they use a PHR?

Education not Fear is Needed with Medical Health Records
Technology “It’s for Those Guys Over There” said the CEO – I Don’t Do Digital Notes
Bringing Providers, Health Care Executives and Administrators into the 21st Century
Personal Health Records – Who’s in the Know and Who has one?
Why Use a PHR – Because It is there and it stands to help decrease medical errors
Social Security likes PHRs too – wanting to work with EMR and PHR software with pilot program

TrialX.org – Clinical Investigator Sign up Now Available – Integrates with HealthVault and Google Health PHRs to locate available clinical trials based on health records

Harvard Physician Suggests Getting a Personal Health Record Account

Medicare Pilot Personal Health Care Pilot Program – Education and Awareness Needed

0 comments :

Post a Comment

 
Top
Google Analytics Alternative