How to Get Your Medical Info To Go With You ...

Portable, accessible records are the key to increasing the quality of care and minimizing errors in the paper trail. In some places, regional health information organizations link patients and local providers. Elsewhere, medical groups are setting up their own websites, and patients are creating personal health records that can be shared with their doctors

... in your pocket

At some practices, patients can get the results of physicals and EKGs and other data loaded onto a so-called thumb drive that plugs into a PC. Records can be updated on visits to specialists and beamed to other doctors

... in your wallet

At iHealthRecord.com run by Medem, you can download personal information such as allergies, previous surgeries, chronic conditions and the drugs you are taking onto a smart card. If you are ever hit by a bus in a strange city, this card could save your life

... to your home computer

Websites such as WebMD and iHealthRecord.com let you manage your family's health history. You can gather and store information and then share it with any physician who is part of the program

... to your doctor's office

Using tablet PCs and exam templates, physicians can enter all the data they once wrote out by hand, leaving more quality time to spend with you. Later, you can review your records via your doctor's website