“Anywhere there’s an Internet, members can access their health records,” says Arnold Curry, M.D., MBA, who began developing Medical Records Systems about eight years ago and launched it in 2012. Although electronic health records are becoming the norm for health providers, individuals may not have access to files kept by their doctor.
HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) gives patients the right to request their medical records, and Dr. Curry points out people may need their records if the need for medical care arises when they are traveling or in case of emergency. The service includes a secure ICE (In Case of Emergency) program to download onto the member’s mobile phone through which emergency responders can have vital information about an individual even as they are transporting him or her to the hospital. But the information, Dr. Curry emphasizes, is not stored on the phone itself.
“It’s a benefit for businesses to offer their employees, especially those who travel a lot,” Dr. Curry says.
Speaking with many years’ experience in hematology and oncology, Dr. Curry notes healthcare providers are required to keep medical records for only seven years, yet patients may need a more complete medical history. Keeping track of health records allows patients to review for inaccuracies and incompatibilities across medical specialties, which can be especially helpful for families seeing multiple doctors, travelers, individuals with a complex health history or during emergency situations. Patients can upload any type of file into the system, or the system can securely upload on their behalf.
Also, says Dr. Curry, “We were given permission by the National Library of Medicine to link our site to theirs,” giving members access to reliable information about such things as drug interactions and specific diseases.
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