Personal Health Records (PHRs)

Privacy should be #1 PHR priority, CCHIT committee says

Anne Zieger — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:04:06 -0400

While other issues matter, privacy should be the top priority in setting certification criteria for PHRs, according to a task force run by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. The CCHIT's Personal Health Records Advisory Task Force recommended not only that PHRs protect private patient information, but also that they be able to send and receive data from varied data sources including ambulatory and hospital EMRs, labs and pharmacies.

The committee's work builds on prior research done by the National Alliance for Health Information Technology, which developed standardized definitions for six key health IT terms. These include that PHRs would conform to nationally recognized interoperability standards, and also, that individuals would manage PHR data.

To learn more about the PHR task force's recommendations:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Key players agree on PHR framework
AHIMA demands better PHR privacy protections
Addressing ID verification could spur PHR adoption
HIPAA privacy officer job expanding quickly

Key players agree on PHR framework

Anne Zieger — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:37:17 -0400

A group of the leading lights in the PHR world have come together to endorse a PHR standard, potentially putting to bed the initial arguments over what a PHR actually is and shifting participants' energy to improving features. Connecting for Heath's "Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information," which was developed over a number of years, has gotten the thumbs-up from Google, Microsoft, WebMD, Dossia, Aetna, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance plans. A number of provider organizations were involved in the development of the framework and have endorsed the the final result, including Geisinger Health System, the VA and Partners HealthCare.

While the framework should help a great deal in creating interoperable health data sets, it won't resolve a key legal issue--whether these new patient data compilations should be protected under HIPAA. Right now, the majority of entities offering PHRs--such as Google, Microsoft and WebMD--aren't defined as "covered entities" by HIPAA, and so they aren't technically required to meet HIPAA standards. The players also face ongoing struggles over how to protect privacy, which isn't defined in the framework.

To learn more about the framework:
- read this Modern Physician piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
AHIMA demands better PHR privacy protections
Addressing ID verification could spur PHR adoption
HIPAA privacy officer job expanding quickly

Microsoft brings on Verisign for PHR security

Anne Zieger — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:36:46 -0400

Last week, Microsoft struck a blow for consumer confidence in its PHR technology suite, Health Vault, by bringing on VeriSign as a security provider. HealthVault users are now able to log in to their PHR with VeriSign's OpenID. Built around VeriSign's Identity Protection (VIP) Network, consumers who sign up for its OpenID will be able to use it for various services, including Bay, PayPal and AOL. When users log into HealthVault records using the OpenID secured with VIP, they'll need to enter not only their OpenID user name and password, but also a one-time-password generated by their VIP credential.

While your editor isn't qualified to judge just how secure this approach is relative to other methods of accessing PHRs, I'd argue that bringing on VeriSign is a smart marketing move for Microsoft. After all, given its broad presence in e-commerce, VeriSign is one of the few--if only--brands consumers might name if you asked them which security vendors they recognize. And such recognition should work in Microsoft's favor as the battle of the PHR technologies continues to progress. After all, PHRs are one of the few medical technologies where consumer acceptance is more important than that of IT managers.

To learn more about the deal:
- read this VeriSign press release

Related Articles:
Microsoft kicks off PHR initiative
A PHR turning point
Aetna enters PHR market with medical info option
Google unveils details of PHR

Google, Microsoft PHRs sign health plan partners

Anne Zieger — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:58:45 -0400

The PHR war between Google, Microsoft and rivals seems to have reached a new stage, with Google and Microsoft scoring major insurance partners this week.

Google Health has just recruited its first insurance company to participate in its PHR program. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest insurer, will let its members create PHRs using Google's technology. When the project is fully ramped up this fall, BCBSMA members will be able to important their claims data into their Google Health profiles. The PHR will allow patients not only to store medical records and insurance data, but also to download them from other connected providers.

While BCBS of MA is the first insurer to come on board, Google Health has many other existing partners, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, Walgreens, CVS/Caremark, Minute Clinic, Medco, Longs Drugs and RxAmerica. Microsoft, meanwhile, has signed a deal under which Kaiser Permanente will bring MS's HealthVault platform together with KP's personal health records for use by Kaiser employees and their doctors. More than 2.2 million of Kaiser's members use its existing PHR, called My Health Manager. Kaiser will now use HealthVault technology to expand My Health Manager's capabilities. The new combined platform will begin pilot testing this summer.

To learn more about these deals:
- read this Boston Business Journal article

Related Articles:
Google Health beta launches
Reaction to Google Health service positive
HIMSS08: Google unveils details of PHR
Google begins storing medical records

Google Health beta launches

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Sound the trumpets: Google Health has launched its official public beta of its personal health record. While Google's offering theoretically goes head-to-head with products like Microsoft's Health Vault, as well as offerings by WebMD and Revolution Health, as the home page to the world, Google is uniquely positioned to change the game if it can simply execute consistently and well on the PHR model--at least that's our view here at FierceHealthIT.

The much-anticipated service, which has been in private beta for several months, offers users the ability to create a personal health record, import medical records, laboratory test results and pharmacy data, and search for physicians. Google Health also links up consumers with a variety of online health services, including e-consults from the Cleveland Clinic, Medem's iHealth portal linking doctors and patients online, a handful of services turning a patient's existing paper records into digital form, a diabetes monitoring tool and a prescription reminder service.

In the past, adversaries have suggested that Google's data may turn out to be less secure than other forms of medical records. For one thing, users access the records using the same name/password combination they use for other Google services (such as Calendar and Gmail), leaving the possibility that a comparatively simple Internet exploit could expose their medical records. Also, other critics note that Google isn't bound by HIPAA, which could lead to misuse of the health data at some point. Will these be issues? I guess we'll find out.

To learn more about the Google Health launch:
- read this story from the New York Times

Related Articles:
HIMSS08: Google unveils details of PHR
Google begins storing medical records
Microsoft kicks off PHR initiative

Primary care group wants pay for online work

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

The American College of Physicians has taken a position that shouldn't be much of a surprise. It's suggesting that payers should reimburse physicians for added work needed to take part in new digital relationships, including using and analyzing PHRs, and conducting online communications with patients.

In a new report, the internal medicine group argues that physicians should be reimbursed for time spent accepting, reviewing, validating and analyzing PHR data, as well as responding to or modifying the records' contents. The group would also like to see payers reimburse doctors for reviewing websites to select for accurate sources of consumer health information.

Along with seeking pay for physicians conducting e-health activities, the ACP is also recommending the use of secure web messaging infrastructure (rather than standard email) for use in communications between doctors and patients.

To learn more about the ACP's proposals:
- read this report (.pdf)
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Trend: Health plans begin reimbursing for 'virtual visits'
Insurers keep getting on Web visit bandwagon
Physicians offer "e-care"
Study: MD e-mails could drain physician income

CA agency touts PHR use, forms PHR portability group

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

A California agency issued a report last week that urges state residents to begin using PHRs. The report, which was conducted by the state's Department of Insurance, draws on data coming from a survey conducted among the state's major health insurers. The survey found that while PHRs can potentially save money by, say, eliminating duplicate tests--or improve care by providing additional details of a patient's medical history to ED physicians--few patients use them.

With the release of the report, the Department also announced the formation of a working group created to make sure that patients will be able to transfer their PHRs between insurance companies. Health plans participating in the working group include Anthem, UnitedHealth, Health Net, Kaiser and Aetna.

To learn more about the report:
- read this California Department of Insurance press release

ALSO NOTED: Telemedicine system links India, Ethiopia;KY county lets EMTs send patient data wirelessly; and much more...

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Here's an interesting telehealth project; a new pilot has linked hospitals in rural Ethiopia with India's leading cardiac institute. Article

> Officials in Louisville-Jefferson County, KY have bought a $2.1 million electronic patient care recording system that allows its EMTs to capture patient info digitally and wirelessly transmit the data to hospitals. Article

> A California medical practice is rolling out an EMR system with help from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Article

> A California multi-site primary care and specialist network has set plans to offer patients a set of online administrative tools, including a PHR. Article

And Finally... Want to see what an EMR looked like circa 1961? Check this out. Video

Are your PHRs safe?

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:54 -0400

We've said it before and we'll say it again: The fact that several of the PHR initiatives launched by bigger companies such as Google and Microsoft don't fall under HIPAA medical privacy rules is a little bit scary. While some states have passed "additional privacy standards" to try to keep the Googles and the Microsofts in check by allowing users to control how much access others have to their information, patients ultimately need to understand each individual company's privacy policies and terms of use. I don't know about you, but it seems that with all the recent leaks in medical information, thinking twice about which route you choose for your PHRs wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing at all.

For more:
- read iHealthBeat's article

Aetna enters PHR market with medical info option

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

Aetna has become the latest in a crowded field of PHR contenders, going up against everyone from Google and Microsoft to giant employer coalitions Dossia and WebMD. Aetna's model, called SmartSource, gathers data from patient claims records to form a personal record, then using this information, helps guide consumers to educational material that could potentially help them research their conditions and vulnerabilities. Before rolling the product out, Aetna tested SmartSource on 35,000 of its own employees, and now hopes to roll out to its 1.68 million commercial enrollees. In so doing, Aetna is following in the footsteps of some other health insurance companies, including UnitedHealth and WellPoint, who have also pulled together basic PHRs using internal claims data.|

To learn more about Aetna's new product:
- read this piece from The New York Times

Related Articles:
Microsoft kicks off PHR initiative. Report
Google unveils details of PHR. Report
AHIMA promotes PHR use. Report
Giant employers move ahead with PHR project. Report
A PHR turning point. Editorial
AHIMA demands better PHR privacy protections. Report
Blue plans, health industry group plan PHR. Report