I haven’t had a lot of medical problems at this point in my life, so why would I need the HealthCare Portfolio™?

Many healthcare providers frequently encourage their patients to maintain comprehensive personal health records (PHR) to be prepared for medical emergencies, when seeking treatment, and to better manage their health.

A comprehensive record of basic information about you, such as who to contact in emergency situations, health insurance coverage, blood type, immunization record, prescription drugs, vitamins and supplements, allergies, etc., make even routine visits more effective. It is especially important to have this readily available in the event you need treatment for a more serious medical problem or are referred to a specialist who isn’t familiar with your health profile or history. Click here to learn more about the many uses and benefits of Healthcare Portfolio™ for individuals and families.

Choosing a PHR:

Use caution in choosing a PHR that suits your personal needs and preferences.
For example, are you comfortable with using the Internet in searching the web for health information, and with storing your personal health information on an online, public PHR site? If not, you would probably feel more comfortable with a software based product like HealthCare Portfolio™. HCPortfolio.com is an advocate of patients' privacy rights. In order to provide our customers with superior flexibility, the ability to store and access your Portfolio from a private Internet storage site is also available.

Be careful with websites that offer evaluations of PHR's.
Keep in mind that organizations sponsoring a website must have a source of funding or revenues to develop and maintain their sites. Make sure the evaluation site is credible, and clearly provides valid contact names and/or telephone numbers, addresses, and assurances that they have actually used or tested the PHRs they are evaluating. For example:

American Heart Association: A highly reputable and superb source of information. The AHA provides valuable insight on the importance of owning and maintaining a PHR, and the many benefits to you and your loved ones. Although the AHA does not evaluate individual PHRs, they offer a professional and non-biased step-by-step guide and 5-question quiz that helps you determine the kind of PHR that is perfectly suited to your personal needs and preferences.

PHRsToday: This business website presents a professional image and contains evaluations on various PHRs. However, a word of caution: The information they use to describe HealthCare Portfolio is incomplete and inaccurate. They have not seen, used or tested the Portfolio. Unfortunately, PHRsToday provides no contact telephone numbers, and all efforts to contact them through their business e-mail address to correct their mistakes have been ignored. Their website contains links to published articles about PHRs in general. Yet despite their assurances of timely, in-depth reviews and analysis, their evaluations appear to be based on a cursory review of the PHR website, and reflect a bias toward the web-only based PHR with an emphasis on Google Health. Other viable and more comprehensive alternatives are available. For example, due to growing public concerns over medical identity theft and online security, HealthCare Portfolio offers a "hybrid" approach with multiple storage and access options that include the internet, and supports individual needs and preferences.

AHIMA: The American Health Information Management Association is a prestigious organization with an impressive body of knowledge ranging from accreditation, to healthcare education, and technology and records management. The AHIMA also provides valuable information to individuals in learning how a PHR can help them better understand and manage their medical information while improving their well-being and the quality of their healthcare.

How does HealthCare Portfolio™ work?

HealthCare Portfolio™ is a comprehensive, easy-to-use personal health records organizer that comes on a Medical Alert USB flash drive. The Portfolio is organized in convenient, cohesive sections that are referred to as, “Profiles,” that cover specific areas such as medications, medical history, healthcare providers, etc. The Profiles were designed for simple and quick data entry, and to easily track and view all of your health information in one place.

You can begin using the Portfolio, immediately, by simply inserting the flash drive into your computer and opening the HealthCare Portfolio™ folder. Your information can be password protected to provide added privacy and security.

Is HealthCare Portfolio™ portable?

Yes. The Portfolio is completely portable and can be stored in multiple locations: on your Medical Alert flash drive, home computer, laptop, or private Internet storage site for ease of use and accessibility. And you don’t have to run cumbersome, complex reports; you can quickly view information and generate printed reports, easily and efficiently.

By storing the Portfolio on your laptop, you can quickly access and view your complete health information, and make updates during doctor’s office visits or medical consultations.

What comes with the HealthCare Portfolio™?

The electronic HealthCare Portfolio™ includes:

• 1GB Medical Alert USB Flash Drive containing:

Complete Set of Health Profiles
Profiles cover specific areas such as medications, medical history, healthcare providers, etc. Click here to learn more.

Getting Started Guide
Detailed instructions on how to begin using your Portfolio.

Summary Guide
A HealthCare Portfolio™ exclusive, this guide is a comprehensive description of the background and rationale for managing your own personal health records. It includes detailed instructions for the using the Portfolio, as well as explanations as to why caregivers need or request certain information.

Chart of Medical Conditions
Provided for reference.

• Key ring and lanyard (sports necklace)
• Medical Alert Wallet Card

Each HealthCare Portfolio™ comes with a unique serial number.

The hard copy version includes:

• All of the above in printed form
• Binder portfolio
• Plastic cover inserts

The Medical Alert flash drive is not included.

What is the difference between a PHR, EHR and EMR?

A PHR is a Personal Health Record that is controlled and maintained by an individual. EHR and EMR are terms that are often used synonymously, and are the Electronic Medical Records that are maintained by doctor’s offices, hospitals and other medical organizations. The HealthCare Portfolio™ is a PHR, a patient-controlled method of recording personal health information.

I have read that the government is funding development for electronic medical records (EMR). Is this for the HealthCare Portfolio™?

No. The funding and development you read about is the effort medical facilities will be undertaking to develop systems and standards for sharing patient information online. The plan calls for completion by 2015, but most estimates predict it will take far longer to deal with the complexities involved. The few EMRs that are available on the Internet are creating concern among the general public because they can be confusing and difficult to navigate, lack comprehensive information and may be vulnerable to medical identify theft by Internet database hackers. These are just a few of the many reasons why many healthcare providers encourage patients to maintain their own personal health records.

How do I obtain copies of my medical health history?

Contact your healthcare providers(s) for copies of your medical records. The Portfolio’s unique and comprehensive Summary Guide explains your rights to this information under Federal law, and how to obtain your medical history quickly and efficiently.

Does it take a lot of time to record information in the HealthCare Portfolio?

HealthCare Portfolio™ was designed to be the most flexible and easiest-to-use PHR method available today. For example, you can navigate between blank fields by simply using the tab key on your keyboard. Drop-down menus for specific choices are located throughout your Portfolio for your convenience. The Profiles were prepared in a universally compatible format; no special software is needed.

Most of the information you will enter in your Profile sections are questions commonly asked by caregiver’s offices, hospitals, etc. Historical information may require more effort to gather from various sources depending on your personal history. You want your health records organizer to be accurate, and as complete as possible. However, you do not need to transcribe all of this historical information into your Portfolio. For example, the electronic medical records (EMR) maintained by medical offices are often detailed and complex, and you may decide not to include a doctor’s visit for a common cold you experienced a few years ago.

Keep in mind that you only have to do this once to get started; then your Portfolio is ready for you any time you need it. Updating it with new information is quick and easy.

What kind of health information can I store in my HealthCare Portfolio™?

You should enter the information that is available to you in order to be better prepared for medical emergencies or when seeking treatment. Healthcare Portfolio™ is the most comprehensive, flexible, and easy-to-use PHR organizer available today. It enables you to store basic information such as name, address, and health insurance information in addition to healthcare providers, vaccinations, test results, medical history, prescription drugs, supplements, and much more. Family medical history is also included as researchers have found that a number of diseases are in some way linked to genetics. Click here to see more features.

Can I store test results from my doctor or hospital on the Portfolio’s Medical Alert flash drive?

Yes. Wherever available, digital test results such as X-rays, CT-scans, doctor’s notes, blood tests, etc., can be downloaded or emailed to you. If the test results are in hard copy, these can be scanned and saved on your Medical Alert flash drive, laptop, or home computer. Some providers may be willing to download them for you directly to your flash drive. Our Support Helpline can give you more information on how this is done.

What other type of information can I store?

Portfolio users often choose to include a Healthcare Proxy, Living Will, health, dental and life insurance information, as well as other relevant health information in order to keep it all in one convenient place.

How can physicians and other caregivers access my information?

HealthCare Portfolio™ provides multiple storage and access capabilities for quick access to information by family members, hospitals, and healthcare providers that have your consent. No other PHR offers this flexibility. These include: Flash drive, home computer, laptop, private Internet storage site and e-mail access.

You can provide access via the Internet, easily print out the information you want to share with your caregiver and bring it with you; or, simply hand the Medical Alert USB flash drive to them during the visit to insert into their computer. The Portfolio was created in a universally compatible format. You can also fax or e-mail the information depending on the needs and preferences of both you and your caregiver.

Because of the unique design of HealthCare Portfolio™, you can choose which information you want to share. For example, you might share all of the information with physicians, but not with a home health aide. Because you are in control of the data, you control the privacy and the security as well.

How can emergency responders access my information?

The HealthCare Portfolio™ Medical Alert flash drive is ideal for this purpose. You can take it with you wherever you go; a key ring and a lanyard are included for that purpose. A Medical Emergency Wallet ID Card is provided as well since emergency responders are trained to look for medical information if the patient is not responsive. Only the emergency health information contained in your Portfolio is given an ICE (in case of emergencies) designation.

There are ways in which you can password protect your health information on your Medical Alert flash drive while enabling emergency personnel access. Our Support Helpline will explain these options in detail, which vary depending on the individual's unique circumstances.

I care for a family member who doesn’t know how to use a computer. How can the HealthCare Portfolio be used for him/her?

There are two solutions for this situation:

1) A hard copy version of the Portfolio is available for people who don’t use a computer. Making entries is simply filling in the blanks on pre-designed forms with a pen or pencil. The hardcopy version comes with a special portfolio binder with plastic cover inserts to protect all of your information.

2) Many people who care for someone else and have access to a computer use the Portfolio to record their healthcare information in their behalf. It was designed to accommodate the special needs of caregivers as well, particularly when more than one caregiver provides in-home or hospice care. Records made by one caregiver are then conveniently available to others, avoiding duplication of effort and providing a central focal point to coordinate on-going treatments or activity.