CHICAGO, August 29—Personal health records (PHRs) provide a powerful way of helping individuals manage their healthcare, but consumers should read the “fine print” to understand the privacy policies of the organization supplying the PHR and the source of the data stored in the PHR, according to a position statement released today by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

The Associations’ recommend that consumers look for the following policies and procedures when selecting a PHR: privacy and security; the ability of the individual, or those they authorize, to access their information; control over accessibility by others; and sources of the data stored in the PHR.

“If the PHR contains the same information that the doctor has seen, it has more usefulness for tracking purposes than information from insurance forms,” states Jill Callahan Dennis, JD, RHIA, president of AHIMA. “For example, insurance claims information may only list some of the diagnoses or medications and not specific details such as blood pressure reading or medication dosage.”

The position statement also includes the following basic principles for guiding PHR adoption and use:

• Every person is ultimately responsible for making decisions about his or her health.
• Every person should have access to his or her complete health information. Ideally it should be consolidated in a comprehensive record.
• Information in the PHR should be understandable to the individual.
• Information in the PHR should be accurate, reliable, and complete.
• Every person should have control over how their PHR information is used and shared.
• The operator of a PHR must be accountable to the individual for unauthorized use or disclosure of personal health information.
• A PHR may be separate from and does not normally replace the legal medical record of any provider.

“Individuals should be able to readily access, understand, and use their personal health information,” said Paul C. Tang, MD, AMIA chairman. “A PHR can help people make better health decisions and communicate effectively with their health care team about their health.”

AHIMA and AMIA recommend that use of an electronic media to facilitate timely, accurate and secure exchange of information across healthcare institutions and providers; however, individuals are encouraged to use whatever format works best for them, even if the choice is paper. “The important thing is to get started,” adds Dennis. “Each person can create a PHR at his or her own pace, starting with their next medical visit.”

A good place for individuals to begin is to visit www.MyPHR.com, a site provided as a free public service by AHIMA, for information on how to create and manage a PHR. The Associations’ suggest individuals also find out if their healthcare providers, employer, insurers, or another individual or organization offers a PHR tool or service.

To view the position statement, “The Value of Personal Health Records,” visit AHIMA’s Web site at http://www.ahima.org/dc/positions/.

About AHIMA
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 more information, visit www.ahima.org.

About AMIA
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) is an organization of 3,500 health professionals committed to informatics who are leaders, shaping the future of health information technology and its application in the United States and 41 other nations. AMIA is dedicated to the development and application of informatics in support of patient care, teaching, research, and healthcare administration and public policy. For more information, visit www.amia.org.