I’ve started my own personal health record (PHR) with the free online program at ihealthrecord.com.On one of its information pages it states:

"You control access. You can share your health information with whomever you choose, including physicians and family members, whenever needed because you control access to your iHealthRecord."

It also mentions I can print out a wallet card of important information I can carry with me. That’s a nice touch.It also mentions I can print out a wallet card of important information I can carry with me. That’s a nice touch.I can also fill out a PHR for anyone I wish, such as my parents, my daughter, or my husband. I think I may do that later.It also mentions I can print out a wallet card of important information I can carry with me. That’s a nice touch.I can also fill out a PHR for anyone I wish, such as my parents, my daughter, or my husband. I think I may do that later.And, if my physician is a member of the Medem Network, he or she will be able to access my ihealthrecord directly. There’s a link where I can search to see if my doctor is one of the network’s 100,000 members, so I searched for my family GP, but he’s not registered.It also mentions I can print out a wallet card of important information I can carry with me. That’s a nice touch.I can also fill out a PHR for anyone I wish, such as my parents, my daughter, or my husband. I think I may do that later.And, if my physician is a member of the Medem Network, he or she will be able to access my ihealthrecord directly. There’s a link where I can search to see if my doctor is one of the network’s 100,000 members, so I searched for my family GP, but he’s not registered.The online registration form asks me for a user name and password, the usual stuff, as well as address, e-mail and phone number. There’s also the option to supply my Social Security Number, but since it’s optional I leave it blank. It also mentions I can print out a wallet card of important information I can carry with me. That’s a nice touch.I can also fill out a PHR for anyone I wish, such as my parents, my daughter, or my husband. I think I may do that later.And, if my physician is a member of the Medem Network, he or she will be able to access my ihealthrecord directly. There’s a link where I can search to see if my doctor is one of the network’s 100,000 members, so I searched for my family GP, but he’s not registered.The online registration form asks me for a user name and password, the usual stuff, as well as address, e-mail and phone number. There’s also the option to supply my Social Security Number, but since it’s optional I leave it blank.I have to read and accept the terms of service. Seven printed pages, the form tells me, among many things that:

• I’ll be automatically enrolled in health programs devised by ihealthrecord based on "the conditions and medications you list…" I can opt out of these at any time.
• Materials and info available are for "informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice."
• I alone am responsible for updating my PHR. Even if my physician is a member of the Medem Network, and can access my PHR, it’s still up to me to update it. Fair enough.
• My interactive PHR will "be stored by Medem as long as Medem offers this service. Should Medem decide…to discontinue…, you will be notified via the email address you provided to us at least two weeks ahead" of time. It goes on to tell me that if I haven’t updated my e-mail address, Medem assumes no responsibility for the "maintenance or loss" of my PHR. Again, fair enough. The terms of service also give me a phone number I can call to delete my PHR from their site, should I decide to discontinue using it.
• Medem employees and contractors have "occasional, legitimate needs" to access its data servers. Access is strictly limited and any individuals who have access have "signed confidentiality agreements." Access also is controlled via "pre-assigned user accounts that require multiple levels of authentication." I’m told that violators of these confidentiality agreements are "handled accordingly, up to and including dismissal."

As for that last bullet, about confidentiality agreements and the punishment of violators – my first thought is, "Okay, so you probably fire them. But is that before or after they’ve run around with my information, doing nasty things with it?" After all it seems at least once a month news comes out of the loss of or breach of a large financial institution’s online data base of members’ personal and important information, such as Social Security Numbers. All these institutions had "secure" sites and security protocols up the whizz-bang. Still, someone left a laptop lying around or a hacker clicked in and stole the info. People are human and some people steal things and I believe that even the strongest of confidentiality agreements (which would be something akin, I suppose, to "we will take your first born child to be eaten by wolves if you steal or reveal this record to others") can’t stop an individual with information from giving that information away if he really wants to. Which brings up an important relationship between controlling and managing my health records – a very good thing – and doing so using an online personal health record – another very good thing, but a tad risky. What do you think?