Medem Introduces
New Service, the iHealthRecord
In
Brief: A coalition of leading
health care organizations led by Medem introduced iHealthRecord,
a no-cost, secure, interactive personal health record for consumers. Medem is
the largest online practice communications resource for physicians. AAPM&R
members can take advantage of the Academy’s partnership with Medem and receive
their services at no charge (see below).
Medem launched the
Interactive Personal Health Record –
the iHealthRecord - a suite of online services that includes:
-
A secure and
standards-based personal health record
-
Patient
control over viewing privileges to their health record, with an audit
trail of who has viewed their record
-
Automated
patient education messages and reminders specific to the individual
patient's medications and conditions. These patient education programs have
been written with national experts including medical societies such as FDA,
AHA and CDC.
-
Patient
safety warnings and product recalls specific to the patient’s medications
(“iHealthAlert”).
-
Endorsement
by physician liability carriers due to improved patient safety and reduced
liability
-
Privacy and data use overseen by a not-for-profit
advisory board of health care leaders, the iHealth Alliance
-
Integration
with electronic medical records services (EMR)
-
Links from
the online provider directories of most major health plans to a medical
practice’s iHealth service
This new service is
available from any of the 90,000+ physician Web sites on Medem’s network and
at www.ihealthrecord.org.
The following is an
abbreviated FAQ for physicians published on the iHealthRecord Web site that
further explains the features and benefits of this new Medem service. To read
the full FAQ, or to view the patient-oriented FAQ, go to their Web site at
www.ihealthrecord.org/faq.html.
How
much does the iHealthRecord cost? Will I get paid for offering iHealthRecord?
The
iHealthRecord is an integrated service provided at no extra cost to all
physicians on the Medem network. Physicians who offer the iHealthRecord can be
paid for the service in several ways, including but not limited to:
How
is this service funded – do I or my patients have to look at advertisements?
iHealthRecord does not sell patient data nor use advertising. The service is
funded through a variety of licensing and transaction fees.
What has been the experience to date?
Thousands of Americans already have an iHealthRecord. Data from existing users
shows:
-
Most users are women from 30-60 who are responsible for the health of
themselves, children, spouses, and aging parents.
-
The service is highly valued and >90% would recommend the service to a friend.
-
The greatest value of the iHealthRecord is seen as the ability to have health
care information in one place that is secure but accessible by their doctor or
in cases of emergency.
-
Over 90% value highly the automated FDA warnings for their medication(s).
Example: when Bextra was the subject
of an FDA recall in early April 2005, iHealthRecord users who
took Bextra were notified via secure e-mail that their medication had been
recalled. Their physicians had the option to send an additional note, but the
recall notification to the patient, with documentation, was handled by
iHealthRecord.
How
does information get into the iHealthRecord?
The
iHealthRecord allows health information to be updated by patients themselves,
the parent or caregiver, physician's office, an electronic medical record, a
health plan, etc. Most patients enter their own data, and Medem is actively
creating interfaces to EMRs and health plans. But in ALL cases the patient
owns and controls the data in their own iHealthRecord, and who has access to
their record.
How
can my office, or other physician's offices, view a patient's iHealthRecord?
Physicians and their approved staff can view the iHealthRecord of any patient
who builds a record through that physician's practice Web site. The patient
decides if other clinicians can have access to their record, and for how long.
All third parties to whom the patient has granted access will appear on a list
in the patient iHealthRecord until access is revoked. The patient is given an
iHealthRecord wallet card to carry with them to assist in accessing their
record in an emergency.
Will the iHealthRecord work with my EMR?
The
iHealthRecord was built based upon the Continuity of Care Record (CCR)
standard to facilitate integration with EMRs. Medem has begun integration with
EMR vendors and will pursue an open standards approach to integration so that
the iHealthRecord can auto-populate EMRs and vice versa.
What are "Patient Education Programs"?
iHealthRecord patient education programs provide information specific to the
medical conditions, treatments, and medications listed in the patient's
iHealthRecord. The programs are created using medical content from national
experts including medical societies, the FDA, CDC, American Heart Association,
and FDA-approved patient education materials. Physicians can also write or
edit their own programs. All patients who create an iHealthRecord are enrolled
in education programs that match their condition(s) and medication(s), though
they can stop these programs at any time.
Do
I increase my liability by using the iHealthRecord?
No.
The liability carriers and other national experts have created guidelines for
the use of online tools to communicate with patients including the provision
of personal health records. These guidelines can be obtained directly from
most liability carriers or online from various sources, including
www.medem.com The terms of service contractual language and other disclaimers
suggested by the liability carriers are integrated into the iHealthRecord
service and patients must agree to these in order to access the iHealthRecord.
Medem reports that over
10,000 Americans are already using iHealthRecord. For more information about
iHealthRecord, or to build one for yourself, go to
www.ihealthrecord.org.
Medem practice Web sites
Medem is the largest, online
practice communications resource for physicians. As the numbers of consumers
using the Internet to locate a physician increase, a medical practice Web site
is an invaluable resource for attracting new patients. AAPM&R members can take
advantage of its partnership with Medem and receive their services
at discounted rate of $195 per year. This $195 fee includes:
- Customizable practice Web site
- Secure, HIPAA-compliant physician-patient messaging and Online Consultation as an
optional, physician-controlled service
- Disease management and medication
adherence services
- Enhanced access by the physician
to their patients’ iHealthRecords
- And more
Creating a practice Web site
on Medem's network is easy:
- Go to www.medem.com
- Select the “New User” link
in the Physician Login box
- Type in basic information
about your practice (takes about 15 minutes)
Free customer support from
Medem’s Member Services is available Monday through Friday (9 am-7 pm CST).
Call toll-free at 1-877-926-3336 or e-mail questions to
info@medem.com. Medem
will respond to e-mail inquiries within one business day. Take advantage of
this membership benefit today. For more information, go to
www.medem.com.
Questions?
For questions about
iHealthRecord or a Medem medical practice Web site, contact Medem at
info@medem.com.
Have a question or comment about the AAPM&R Web site? Contact Sara
Delgado at the Academy national office at (312) 464-9700,
e-mail: sdelgado@aapmr.org.
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