PHR and Your Doctor

How will PHR help my doctor?

When you maintain your PHR, you will enhance communication between you and your doctor. You will be able to knowledgably discuss your health information and medical history with your doctor, and provide updates to any changes in your health and wellness, such as updates on information you are tracking on your own such as glucose readings and updates on medications including over-the-counter medications you may be taking.

PHR enables you to easily communicate your health information. You can create reports with one click of a button on anything from your medical history, your medication list, to a graph of your blood pressure readings. You can print a report and take it with you, email reports, or log-on to your PHR via your provider’s computer to view, transfer, or print reports right in the office.

Will my doctor help me to maintain my PHR?

Your doctor or someone in their office may or may not be able to help you maintain your PHR. If your doctor has an electronic medical record, commonly referred to as an EMR or EHR, (currently used by approximately 15% of all providers), they may be able to interface with the Metavante HealthManager or enable you to download information securely through our secure, online PHR Hub.

Regardless, your provider will be able to provide you with a paper copy of your information.

What if my doctor doesn’t keep electronic records?

This is not uncommon. Fewer than one in five doctors are currently using electronic systems to manage medical records. You will need to obtain hard copies of your medical records from each provider to get started. You will have to input at least some of the information manually in order to create your own comprehensive PHR.

When you see your doctor in the future, print out forms from your PHR to take with you to write down all of the information about the visit. Be sure to include details on any tests, medications prescribed, or treatments given. Enter all of this information into your PHR when you get home or have access to a computer.

Your doctor may be impressed with how your electronic PHR has changed your health care process for the better. Urge your doctor to move toward electronic records!

How will the Metavante HealthManager help me at my doctor’s office?

A current and comprehensive PHR will help you to:

• Improve communications with those helping to manage your care
• Arrive better prepared at doctor’s visits
• Minimize paperwork
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information
• Provide information about any self treatments or monitoring such as over-the-counter medications or glucose readings
• Coordinate care across multiple providers
• Ensure that health professionals have timely and convenient access to clinically relevant information about you - whether in your primary care provider’s office, the pharmacy, the emergency room, or the intensive care unit