Dear John,
Thank you for your interest in using HealthFrame for managing your medical history.
There are a number of ways you can obtain information to create/populate/track your medical history summary. In the United States, you have the right to request copies of your medical records from any doctor, clinic or hospital that provided you with medical services. Please note that you are likely to need to contact your health care providers in writing. You can obtain a sample request letter from our website:
http://www.recordsforliving.com/PersonalHealthRecords/HowToGetOne.aspx.
Here are some discussion threads in the HealthFrame User Community Forum that address other users' concerns with accessing their medical history information:
http://community.recordsforliving.com/forums/thread/451.aspx.
Your healthcare providers will likely send you paper copies of your medical records - please note that you may be asked to pay for copying fees. If you are given paper copies, you can:
- Scan the documents so you can access them as attachments in your personal health record (PHR)
- Enter your summary information yourself in HealthFrame
- Engage with health management coaches who can help you enter most relevant information
In some cases, your healthcare providers may have access to electronic health record (EHR) software and they may be willing to share with you electronic copies of your records - see this discussion thread:
http://community.recordsforliving.com/forums/thread/572.aspx.- Assuming your providers use EHR systems that are compatible with the ASTM International standard for Continuity of Care Record (CCR), you can then simply import the records into your HealthFrame PHR.
Electronic import of medical history summary, of course, is the best way to start a PHR. Patients should talk to their doctors about making it possible to obtain electronic medical records using existing industry standards.
Thank you for your interest in using HealthFrame and please let us know if we can be of further assistance,
Support Team