Keeping track of personal health information is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and the ones you love. This is especially true for caregivers. When you are responsible for the care of a loved one, especially a senior, keeping up with their data becomes vital. Champion Home Health Care of Brevard is committed to helping seniors enjoy their lives at home while receiving the highest quality care. We are a nurse registry accredited by the American Health Care Association and we pride ourselves on providing excellence to each and every family we serve. We know how important it is to keep track of doctor visits, tests, blood work, etc. that you or the person you care for receives. This is why we are dedicating the next couple of blog posts to the topic of Personal Health Records. This is a tool that can serve you well and help you keep track of all the pertinent health information you may need to access quickly.
A Personal Health Record, or PHR, is a tool that allows you to collect medical materials and keep them in one place. The benefit is ease of use and easy accessibility. Having all significant medical data in one place will help you keep track of doctor visits, procedures, tests, and more. It bridges the gap between your GP and any specialists you or the person you care for visits. This gives you, the patient or caregiver, power and peace of mind. PHRs are like the EHRs, Electronic Health Record, that your doctor uses to keep track of your medical history. The difference is that you control what data is contained within your PHR and who has access to it. You also have the option of adding additional information that you deem necessary, things like over the counter medications and any supplements you use.
According to Healthit.gov, having a PHR can help increase favorable health outcomes for patients. In fact, a 2016 article from the Journal of Medical Internet Research notes that consumers are taking advantage of PHRs more than ever. This is a great thing. The more engaged you are as a patient, the more knowledge you have to make informed decisions. You have a right to ask for medical information from your health care providers. Once you have that data, you can scan it or make copies and begin compiling your PHR. This is the first step in creating your PHR. The difference between standard medical records and a personal health record is the information contained and how you, the patient or caregiver, uses the data contained within.
We encourage all of our patients and caregivers to stay actively engaged in the care they receive. You can do this by committing to collecting medical information and then using it to help you make decisions.
