Because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), all patients now have the right to access their personal medical history records. If you've filled out any personal medical history questionnaire forms at your doctor's office, you might remember filling out a HIPAA form that asked you who you wanted to allow to see your medical information. Now you can either write your doctor and request your personal medical history information or use an online personal medical history lookup service. You can then store your medical history on your computer to have to take to doctor's appointments or use in case of emergency.

Things to know about accessing your medical records and creating a personal medical history database:

1. Become a member of a personal medical history lookup service to get access to your personal history medical forms.

2. Create a database online of you and your family's personal medical history.

3. Use software to create a medical history for yourself and your family that you can print out and take to doctor's appointments.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Subscribe to an online personal medical history lookup service

There are many personal medical history lookup services online. Usually you have to become a member of the site to access its features, but this is a great way to have your personal medical history and that of your family members available to you at all times.

I recommend: Sign up with MyMedicalRecords.com to access and store your personal medical history forms and documents securely; then easily retrieve them whenever you want. Become a member of PinnacleCare and have the ability to look at your personal medical history charts whenever you want.

Create personal medical history databases for you and your family

There are many websites where you can create a personal medical database for each member of your family so that your access to medical information is only a click away.

I recommend: Go to My Family Health Report, which is a medical record personal history tool from the U.S. Surgeon General. You can either use the tool online or download it to your computer to create and store a personal medical history form for you and each member of your family. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a service called My Medicine Record, where you can create your personal medical history chart and store it on your computer.

Use personal medical history software to create a database of your medical information

Another way to keep track of medical history information is to use software. Many people prefer this because they're not comfortable having their personal information stored online where it could be accessed by unknown parties. There are many kinds of software available that let you input your information to create personal and family medical health history forms for each member of your family.

I recommend: Records for Living is a personal medical history software designed to create personal history medical info sheets that you store on your computer. Try the free trial of the HealthFile medical history software to create personal medical health history forms on your computer or PDA.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Having a copy of your medical record personal history is a great way to keep track of what prescriptions you're taking or what allergic reactions you may have to medications. This can ultimately help your doctor to take better care of you.

Everyone should strive to control their personal medical history. Records disappear from hospitals and doctors' offices; people forget parts of their medical histories when they visit new doctors and complete personal medical history charts; many depend on a doctor to always see and grab all the puzzle pieces and fit them together in the correct diagnosis during their doctor appointment.

Maintain your own set of personal medical health history forms, and you put yourself in the driver's seat. You can provide copies of lost records; you can visit a new doctor armed with your entire medical history; you can actively help your doctor by giving him or her the information needed to properly diagnose you. Based on your preferences, consider one or more of the following ways to manage your personal medical history records:

1. Subscribe to a web-based personal medical history service.

2. Purchase or download personal medical history software that lets you fill out, save and share your own medical record personal history forms.

3. Create or buy a personal medical history book.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider a web-based solution that lets you manage and share your personal medical history

Web-based services provide a great way to stay on top of managing your medical history, and they let you share information directly with any participating medical professional to whom you grant access. With these services, participating doctors, with your permission, can add notes and test results to your records after a visit. Some services charge a reasonable fee, and many provide additional options like fitness and diet management and printable cards for your wallet that contain your medical history.

I recommend: Consider signing up for the LifeSensor Personal Health Record, a web-based solution that guarantees privacy and puts you in control of consolidating your personal medical history and ensuring your records stay up to date. If you want a free online way to manage your personal medical history chart, visit the iHealthRecord website to get more information on creating an iHealthRecord before you sign up to create your own personal medical history database.

Create and store personal medical history records on your computer

If you don't quite trust the Internet as a place to store your personal history medical forms, consider purchasing or downloading software that lets you create personal medical history records on your computer. If you trust the security you've installed on your computer, then you should feel confident the documents you create will remain safe.

I recommend: Try the 30-day free trial of CheckUp software that lets you create and securely store your medical records on your computer. You can also download free medical forms at AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) so you can fill in and store your personal and family medical health history forms on your computer.

Buy or create your own personal medical history book

If you feel more confident leaving your medical history off your computer, you can still gain control by making or buying a personal medical history book. You can fill out a personal medical history form in the book, take the book with you to your doctor's appointment and then log the results of the visit later to keep the book current.

I recommend: Pozen Services offers the "So Tell Me..." journal-type medical organizer to record your entire family's medical histories. Purchase the Personal Health Diary: Adult Edition by Teri Olsen-Spina, at Amazon or another book store. It's a handy three-ring binder filled with personal history medical info sheets for you to fill out and take with you when you visit your doctor.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Regardless of the method you choose to manage your own personal medical history, ensure you consider security measures like encryption to protect your information. Read the fine print before you sign up for software or web-based solutions.
• •  Most doctors don't have the time, staff or interest in recording information on a website. Because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) privacy laws, it's possible that the doctor's office will refuse to divulge information on the Internet.
• •  Include appropriate medical powers of attorney, insurance information and any advance directives with your personal medical history. It's smart to also start a health record for elderly parents.

A patient's medical record of personal history is vital information for any nurse, doctor or therapist administering treatment. A personal medical history chart lists the patient's vital statistics, medications being prescribed, past surgeries and operations, and family disease history. Nurses and doctors need to know how to access and create personal medical history files in order to treat each patient safely and effectively.

Personal medical history records can be stored in personal medical history charts or on personal medical history software. With either method, it's important that health care workers know how to use personal medical history lookup tools and maintain patient privacy. Personal medical history lookup education and training should include:

1. Learning how to create personal medical history records.

2. Finding out how to access a personal medical history database.

3. Understanding how to utilize personal medical health history forms.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn to create a personal medical history for a patient

Personal history medical forms are resourceful tools for nurses and doctors when treating patients. Personal medical health history forms inform doctors about preexisting conditions, drug allergies, family health histories and other important health information. Learn how to create personal medical history records for each patient to treat them safely.

I recommend: The National Institute on Aging provides suggestions for creating a personal medical history for senior citizen patients. The AAHSA provides an explanation of patient privacy rights in regards to personal medical history records. This will help you learn about patient privacy rights and also aid you in explaining them to your patients. Study the handy FAQ file for further information.

Get personal medical history software training

Many health care facilities rely on a personal medical history database for vital information about patients. Storing records in a database by using personal medical history software saves time and money for your patients and office. Learn to use personal medical history software to access patient medical history information.

I recommend: Get training from Advanced Data Systems to learn to use a personal medical history database correctly and expediently. The company installs the software for you, then provides a training course for all medical office staff to acquaint them with the personal medical history software. Medical Software offers programs for electronic medical records and training courses to accompany them.

Use conferences and seminars to learn the benefits of medical health history forms

New federal patient privacy laws and regulations have affected how health practitioners view personal medical history lookup resources. Nurses and doctors need to be educated about patient privacy and satisfaction issues related to personal medical health history records. Attend conferences and workshops to learn about the impact on the industry.

I recommend: Attend TEPR, an annual conference that focuses on health information technology and electronic patient records training and education for physicians and healthcare workers. Take the Medical Records 101 seminar via teleconference or on-site to learn more about medical record personal history and privacy rights.

Every time a person goes to any type of health-care provider, a record of the visit is made and placed into a person's medical or health-care record. Having this information available may save the person from repeating tests or procedures that have already been done and will give all medical providers a complete picture of a person's health history. Health information of all persons is protected by law under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Listed below are things that are common to most health records that pertain to looking up a medical history.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Medical record

A medical record contains the chronological history of a patient's health, which includes treatments, exams and findings.

I recommend: The Electronic Privacy Information Center explains what's found in medical records and who might have access to this information.

Electronic medical record

An electronic medical record is an online collection of a patient's health information stored in a digital (electronic) format that can be accessed and viewed on a computer and shared with the patient's health-care providers.

I recommend: Open Clinical defines electronic medical records and discusses other issues pertaining to them, such as benefits and barriers to use.

Legal health record

A legal health record is not the same as a personal health record. This type of record includes data linked to a patient but does not include records that the patient has direct control over, such as personal health records.

I recommend: To understand the legal issues involved in health records, as well as access to them, visit the American Health Information Management Association.

Imaging or lab test results

These reports provide medical information on test results and, if necessary, recommendations for treatment or further testing.

I recommend: Merck Manual provides additional information.

Clinical data repository

The clinical data repository is a database that adds information from many sources, such as laboratory and radiological areas, to a patient's record.

I recommend: Visit the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Release form

This is a standard form that is used for a patient to obtain copies of medical information, including history and lab results.

I recommend: Genetic Health has valuable information on getting medical records.