Records portability


The idea of having an ATM card —
which allows consumers to access
their financial data and money from almost anywhere — is a common concept
that most people are familiar with.
However, until now, consumers did not
have that same type of accessibility when it
came to information about their personal
health.

 

That type of assumption may change
with the continued expansion of personal
health records.

“A personal health record can provide
consumers with a simple, customized,
portable health history, which could be
invaluable whether you are having your
yearly physical or experiencing a medical
emergency,” says Bill Berenson, vice president of sales and service for Aetna’s Small
and Middle Market Business in the North
Central Region. “The steps that insurers,
employers and physicians are taking
together to make these types of records
accessible, secure and easy to use for consumers is one of the most positive trends in
our industry today.”

Smart Business spoke with Berenson,
who answered some basic questions about
personal health records (PHRs) and the
impact they can have on individual consumers, as well as employers that offer
them to their work force.

What is a personal health record?

A personal health record (PHR) is a
patient-focused electronic history of an
individual’s health and his or her respective
encounters with the health care system.

Are there different types of PHRs?

There are two types of basic PHRs: one
that relies on the patient to input data into
the record (a patient-populated PHR), and
one that is populated automatically by clinical data derived from health insurance
claims forms (a claims-populated PHR).
There are also some PHRs that combine elements of both of these types, allowing
information to be input from both clinical
data and directly from the patient.

More advanced PHRs use sophisticated
clinical rules engines to constantly analyze
the clinical data in the PHR and send warnings or alerts if the patient appears to be
receiving the wrong therapy or medication.

Who keeps this type of information secure?

All PHRs are maintained securely on
behalf of the individual, usually by a custodian. In many cases, the health insurer can
serve as the custodian, as it already has
most of the information that would be
included.

Securing this personal information and
keeping it private are two of the most
important characteristics of the personal
health record.

Will PHRs impact the physician/patient relationship?

A PHR has the ability to enhance the collaborative element of the relationship between a patient and his or her physician.
With a PHR, patients can input information
that a physician might not be aware of,
such as what type of over-the-counter medications they take or their family history as
it pertains to a specific health condition. As
a result of receiving additional information
about their patients, physicians have a
greater opportunity to help improve the
overall health of these patients.

How can personal health records help
employers that offer them to workers?

PHRs can help consumers become more
informed about their own health care and
be more active in the health care process,
which often leads to better health outcomes. For employers, an employee who is
consistently healthier is likely to be more
productive when they are at work and also
will miss less time because of health-related issues.

Personal health records are one of the
most exciting and promising initiatives in
the health care industry today, offering
benefits for both health care consumers
and their employers. As PHRs continue to
emerge, it is important for employers to
find out if their respective insurers offer
PHRs, and if so, how they might be able to
help their specific employee population.

BILL BERENSON is vice president of sales and service for
Aetna’s Small and Middle Market Business in the North Central
Region. Reach him at (312) 928-3323 or [email protected].