A personal health record (PHR) is a collection of important information that you maintain about your health or the health of someone you’re caring for, such as a parent or a child, that you actively maintain and update.

Pros and Cons of Creating Your PHR
While there are many advantages to having your own PHR, some considerations should not be overlooked. A health record and a personal health record (PHR) are not the same thing.
A health record is information about your health compiled and maintained by each of your healthcare providers. A PHR is information about your health compiled and maintained by you. PHRs are not legal records.

Since PHRs are compiled and maintained by you, the information in them cannot always be verified. Even if copies of legally-recognized records from your healthcare provider are included in your PHR, the PHR itself is not recognized as a legal entity.

Why does it matter whether my PHR is a legal record or not?
Since PHR’s generally are not part of a provider’s electronic health record, they are not considered legal health records and therefore, are not covered by HIPAA. Healthcare providers, therefore, will rely on the information contained in their legal, HIPAA covered records. That’s o.k. However, it is up to you to make sure that healthcare providers have access to the additional information in your PHR that is not included in their own records.

PHRs are not uniform throughout the healthcare industry.
While the use of PHRs is only recently gaining popularity, the need for them is recognized and welcomed by healthcare providers, employers, insurers, government and public advocates. Healthcare advocates believe that mainstream use of PHRs will ultimately lead to overall improved health, lower medical costs and higher worker productivity.

Not all doctors refer to PHRs.
PHRs are still relatively new. Many healthcare providers are still developing procedures for accomodating the use of PHRs. Physicians themselves are only recently learning how to use the information provided by their patients. Sometimes, when doctors cannot verify the source of information, they may be reluctant to rely on its accuracy in making a diagnosis. Other doctors are simply more comfortable compiling their own information because they can rely on it being current, valid and consistent with other information in their healthcare system.

Regardless of whether your physician is agreeable or cautious about relying upon information contained in your PHR, one thing seems certain. Patients who actively engage with their doctors generally live healthier lives.