Erin McCann, Associate Editor
Erin McCann is Associate Editor at Healthcare IT News. She covers physician practices, ambulatory care and social media in healthcare. Follow Erin on Twitter @EMcCannHITN
Kaiser PHR sees 4 million sign on, most active portal to date
OAKLAND, CA | August 6, 2012
Four million members are now engaging in their health through Kaiser Permanente's My Health Manager, the organization’s Web-based personal health record, Kaiser officials announced Monday.
Officials say the burgeoning number of active users -- approximately 63 percent of Kaiser’s eligible members -- demonstrates that consumers find the organization's personal health record (PHR) to be an effective and convenient way to manage their health.
"My Health Manager empowers members to take charge of their health, and our data show that they are doing just that," said George Halvorson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente. "In the last six months, 67 percent of registered members signed on to My Health Manager two or more times. By revisiting the website, our members are getting a complete picture of their health past, so they can make the best health choices in the future."
[See also: Kaiser, SSA partner on HIE to speed claims.]
My Health Manager allows members to access medical records, email their providers, view lab test results, order prescription refills, and manage appointments from their computers or mobile devices.
In 2011 members signed on to My Health Manager more than 74 million times and utilized website features in record numbers, officials say:
- 29.7 million lab results viewed online
- 12.2 million emails sent to providers
- 10 million prescriptions refilled
- 2.7 million appointments scheduled
The Web-based PHR also connects consumers to valuable health information on kp.org, officials say, including physician-approved information about lab tests, drugs and health conditions. In 2011 kp.org won an eHealthcare Leadership Gold Award for Best Health Content.
"With the help of consumer and physician feedback, My Health Manager has evolved to become one of the largest and most useful personal health records in the world," said Christine Paige, senior vice president for marketing and Internet services. "By combining vital personal health information with a great user experience, we're giving members what they need to take positive health action."
Most recently, Kaiser Permanente made the PHR securely available on mobile devices with a mobile-optimized website and iPhone and Android apps. Kaiser officials say that since its launch in late January, the mobile-optimized kp.org website has received more than 9.7 million visit sessions, accounting for 16 percent of total traffic to kp.org in the month of July. The organization's Android app has also experienced notable success, reaching 126,000 downloads since Jan. 24, with its iPhone app garnering 109,000 downloads since May 8.
[See also: Kaiser goes mobile with 9 million strong.]
Mike Barnard say: Personal health records - sounds nice but...
Having the ability to view and manage one's personal health records online is another idea that sounds great in concept, but is almost certain to create more problems than it solves.
It's not unlike the issues of going to more than one pharmacy to get prescriptions filled. I may get most of mine at the local CVS, and they'll know about those and can check for potential bad interactions or prescription abuse. But if I stop by Walgreen's once in a while instead because it's occsionally more convenient, they don't know about my records at CVS and if they don't ask and I don't tell them, all the information is for nought.
Likewise, when I have to change insurance providers from one year to the next because my employer forces me to do so to take advantage of lower costs, who's going to make sure my PHR at my previous insurer are transferred to my new insurer?
And even if that's not an issue, who's going to make sure all my medical information makes it onto my PHR at my current insurer? I have almost 55 years of medical data, much of which is on paper and will never become digital. That which is stored electronically is scattered across multiple providers, including GP's, specialists, outpatient centers, hospitals whose ER's I used, etc.
But my greatest fear is the federal gov't will use the above to rationalize why THEY should become the keeper of all my medical information. When that comes to pass, and under the ACA it almost certainly will, I'll have to trust ALL of my health care to bureaucrats deep in some federal agency, who in the interest of reducing costs will at some point tell me to "take the pill" instead of getting the treatment I seek because they deem me too old to justify the expense.