TIPS FOR RECOVERING YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION AFTER A DISASTER

CHICAGO, September 27—For people displaced by disasters, it can be difficult to begin or resume medical care without immediate access to their personal health information. To assist individuals attempting to recover their health information, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers the following guidance:

• Call your healthcare providers to see if they are in business or have left contact information. If you are able to contact them, find out the status of your medical records. Ask if they have kept back-up copies of medical records, lab reports, X-rays, pharmacy, or bills that would be helpful to you.
• Contact your insurance company. It is likely they can provide documents used in billing (for example, the explanation of benefits statement) to help rebuild your medical record. If you use Medicare, contact the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services at http://www.medicare.gov/ or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
• Contact your pharmacy. Many national chains keep records of your prescriptions and can verify names and dosages for you and your healthcare provider, even if you are in a different location. For individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina, additional help is available at http://www.katrinahealth.org.
• Contact your state Department of Health for information contained in Medicaid program information, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program information, or registries such as communicable disease, immunizations, and birth certificates. Telephone numbers for state departments of health can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/katrina/.
• Contact any healthcare providers you have seen on a referral basis (such as home healthcare providers, specialists, and surgeons). They should have information sent to them by your referring healthcare providers.
• If you have children, your school district may be able to provide information from the school nurse about your child. If your child has attended college, contact the college for any health information on file.
• Ask your family to help you remember your medical history as you write it down.

Your personal health information is a valuable resource and AHIMA recommends that individuals create and maintain their own personal health record (PHR). Keeping a complete, updated, and easily accessible PHR will help you receive faster, safer treatment and care—especially in cases of emergency. For additional guidance in understanding and managing personal health information, visit www.myphr.com. The site contains a step-by-step guide for creating a PHR, including free downloadable health record forms to get you started and a searchable database of PHR products and services.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the “Keep It With You: Personal Medical Information Form” which serves as a voluntary, temporary record that lists medical care and other health information for people who need care during disasters. It can be found at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina/kiwy.asp.

AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA's 52,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For information about the association, go to www.ahima.org.