Family medical history is one of the most important factors in determining your risks for cancer and other illnesses, but what happens when you aren't sure how it all fits together?

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Resources needed for behavioral health keep growing as the funds continue to be cut. Recent incidents show how poorly this can affect not only the patients in need, but also the entire community.

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Getting yourself a Personal Health Record is an important step along the way to Dr. Carrie's holy grail...Personal Health Ownership.

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We live in the future. Here is some proof.

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As Health Literacy Missouri’s webmaster, I spend a lot of time behind a computer. But recently, I was lucky enough to get out of our Saint Louis office and travel through Missouri to learn about health literacy projects outside of our city. I brought back lots of stories.

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Take a short quiz to see if your health literacy is up to par.

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The start of a new year always brings new goals and resolutions.  But this year, I encourage you to join me in embarking on a new project – creating personal health records (PHR’s) for your family.

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Anyone who runs, whether it’s to stay in shape, lose a few pounds or burn some steam, can’t deny the temporary euphoria that accompanies such a blood-pumping workout. And heck, whether you are trotting to the beat of your MP3 or to the tune of Mother Nature herself, it’s easy to lose yourself in the temporary high. But what happens when you really do get lost?

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Combating the overindulgent eats, drinks and habits of the holidays can be difficult. Near impossible, really. Even for the athlete or health nut, winter months can pose challenges to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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While reading an article for the bleeding disorders community, I came across a resource that I know you will find useful in building a personal health record for your child.

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About two years ago, my husband, Les, began having some puzzling physical symptoms.  He wasn’t feeling particularly ill but decided to see his primary care physician, just in case.

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This is the first study to assess real-world use of an industry-leading patient portal (Kaiser Permanente’s My Health Manager) in a large, ethnically, culturally, socioeconomically, and educationally diverse sample of diabetes patients with a range of self-reported health literacy skills.

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The Blue Button at MyHealthEVet.gov gives vets an easy way to download their health records. However, what’s needed is an easy way to view those records, to get ‘em to other doctors, and to add to those records.

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The fact that you are visiting myPHR website indicates that something has piqued your interest in personal health records (PHR).  Perhaps, you are seeking the right inspiration for taking the next steps to create a PHR for yourself or a family member.  If that is the case, consider some of the following scenarios.

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Patient portals have evolved quite a bit over the last few years. Many portals now offer patients the opportunity to interact with the doctor in a way that hasn’t occurred since doctors stopped making home visits. Personally, I have used my provider’s patient portal to access my records, check on results and even email my doctor. And he responded back to me within minutes! Minutes!

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A recent report states that Personal Health Record (PHR) usage is low, but has doubled in the past two years. The report was conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation, and found that one in 14 Americans say they have used a PHR. Even more important is that consumers with online access to their health information pay more attention to their health.

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My son who is active and allergic to antibiotics, latex and a host of other things took a tumble. And I mean a tumble!

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Six steps to a more helpful and complete PHR

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One day Jake, our middle son, got strep throat. Usually, no big deal. Some antibiotics and you’re good to go. Not this time. Jake had a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic and the next one, and the next, and the next. The whirlwind began.

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A UK mother is missing her son's PHR because of medical identity theft. Chelsea Herron and her son Bailey had Bailey’s medical information stolen the old-fashioned way - by two criminals on the street.

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Chances are you’ve gradually fallen into the role of caregiver for a loved one as their health deteriorates. You probably didn’t realize it was happening at first, but little-by-little you found yourself doing more and more and at some point said to yourself, “I’m not trained for this. I feel overwhelmed and inadequate.”

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Caregiver Juneita Johari recommends that caregivers learn to decipher doctor speak, start a file, and take notes when caring for an elderly or ill loved one.

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Go Nomad advises planning ahead for your trip. Plan for the unexpected and routine medical concerns by creating a PHR.

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Vashon Athletic Club owner Kevin Allman, of Vashon, Wash., spends a majority of his time at the gym training senior citizens, which make up an healthy 30-40 percent of his clientele. Located on an island with a population of just over 10,000 residents and a median age range of 44 years old (Seattle’s median age range is 34), Vashon’s demographics have contributed to Allman becoming somewhat of an authority in training seniors.

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Judith Figueroa, a 69-year-old New Yorker with multiple heath problems, once visited the ER almost every month. By working with Carolyn McCrea, RN, of Visiting Nurse Service, Figueroa hasn’t been back to the hospital as often.

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 One way in which seniors can take more control over their healthcare and help ensure they receive the most appropriate care is by using a personal health record (PHR).

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I am the mother of a toddler and a kindergartener. I recently started a patient-centric health record, which consists of aggregating documentation and information from several sources of healthcare.

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Fifty-eight year old cancer patient Marty found himself drowning in a “scary sea of medical jargon” after a cancer diagnosis. He describes himself as well-educated, but struggled to understand his diagnosis and treatment.

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Earlier this week, I had the honor of co-presenting in front of the CEO’s of Kaiser Permanente and The Permanente Federation, at a regular Town Hall meeting, about the completion of the KP HealthConnect rollout across the United States.

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains provisions to encourage the meaningful use of electronic medical records technology. Seniors are most likely  to use a PHR, but will this change as Millennials mature and as EHRs become more prevalent?

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Whether you’re training for a race or want to increase your run time or distance, include a running log in your PHR. Share it with your doctor to give him or her a more complete picture of your health and fitness level.

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Military families overcome numerous obstacles to support their service members. One of primary things that a military family must deal with is undergoing constant moves and deployments.

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Did you know that up to one-third of treatments aren’t based on the latest research? Keeping a PHR, either on paper or online, allows doctors to examine a complete medical history and offer you the best chance for recovery or for management of a chronic illness.

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Imagine for a moment that you’re a strength and conditioning coach. If you’re already a coach this part isn’t going to be difficult. Now, say you have a new client coming in for a consultation and this client has noted that they’ve had “injuries” in the past. When he or she shows up, you’d expect a detailed explanation of their problem.. However, so often in our position as coach a new client comes in and can’t offer specifics about their health history. How frustrating is that?

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As an incoming university freshman, I got my first taste of the real word, and it was bittersweet. My mind was focused on finding classes, highlighting textbooks, and making new friends. Everyone tells you college is hard work and you are going to have to study your butt off. However, no one tells you about all the other stuff, the real world stuff. I didn’t know how to manage my finances, time, and health.

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To Dr. Ted Eytan, PHRs help children and adults achieve their life goals through optimal health.

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No matter the format, a PHR can keep you accountable for recording and updating your health information. But what about everyday health concerns, such as fitness and weight loss?

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Cheryl McEvoy, editorial assistant for ADVANCE for Health Information Professionals, recently returned from a trip to Nicaragua.

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Senior health expert Patricia Grace discusses how caregivers can use a PHR to improve elder care.

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This personal health record is designed to help you keep your family member's medical information organized in one place. It includes space for you to write in information about your family member's medical conditions and treatments.

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Think PHRs are only for the young? Think again. Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, and the Veterans Administration confirmed that the 50-65 crowd is most likely to use a PHR.

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When it comes to creating your Personal Health Record (PHR), remember that it’s more than just the medical information you gather from your primary doctor or hospital. Think of all the other things that impact your well being. 

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You pushed yourself during the 10K race and your core body temperature surged.  You’re delirious, in the medical tent and no one knows your name much less your medical history or how to reach your family members.  You have Bib #153 with no personal information for race administrators to begin the identification process.

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In less than a decade, technology has made information widely accessible--Information that in years past only a privileged and select few had access to. This has opened the doors to nearly everyone in America to make informed decisions about their health care.

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As a professional organizer, I am frequently called on to help folks sort through their papers and develop systems to organize their files.  I find that people have files with extensive information on the care and maintenance of their homes and cars, and no file on the care and maintenance of themselves. As part of their organizing project, I encourage them to develop a file for their medical histories and pertinent medical information.

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My Church held a fellowship dinner last night to kick off our 80th year celebration.  It was a wonderful night of music, good food, and friends.  My husband and I were able to spend some time with a couple we had not talked to in a while.  It was great catching up and hearing about her ministry in Mozambique.  She had just returned about a month ago from her latest visit.

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I love taking a drive in the Fall to see all the beautiful colors.  Many years ago I traveled with my family to Vermont and New Hampshire to enjoy the Fall colors.  It was spectacular!  Every color was so vivid and everywhere I looked I was in awe.

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It’s OK to ask for copies of your medical records! 

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There are many ways you can carry your PHR when you travel.  I travel with a paper document.

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I have been blessed to be the mom of 3 boys, or should I say 3 young men. Two are in college and one will be a junior in high school. I, like many moms, documented their milestones the first few years of their life in their baby books.

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My mother is close to celebrating her 90th birthday. Up until 8 years ago, she led a very active on-the-go life, traveling from one part of the country to another, visiting her four children as often as possible.  We took her apparent good health for granted, especially since the four of us are healthy as well.

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It was a beautiful day to travel.  We started early so we could get there and enjoy as much of the daylight as possible.  Unfortunately, that did not occur.  I started feeling my world spin during the drive.

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Last summer was my first experience with sending a child off to college.  As I sat through the college parent orientation, I noticed that not much was mentioned about health care.  My son’s college is a small college and does not have a student health service department.  My anxiety started to grow as I began to think about what will happen if he has to go to the doctor or hospital.

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How can a PHR help me or my family?  Why would I want to take the time to gather all this information? 

In the same way a gardener will keep track of where to buy their favorite flowers or who has the biggest selection or best prices, a PHR can help you keep track of physician information such as phone numbers, appointment dates, specialty, etc.

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Planting the seeds of knowledge for care now and in the future.

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The other day I was visiting with my 81-years-young mother. Like many others her age, she has a few chronic illnesses, such as hypertension and diabetes and some short-term memory loss. Recently, she also had to start using insulin to control her diabetes. She and my father spend a significant amount of time driving to and from doctor appointments and trying to deal with insurance and medications and testing. She expressed her feelings of frustration when she said, “our golden years aren't so golden anymore.” 

Maybe you also have that same thought or have expressed that same feeling to someone you love.

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Maybe you didn’t realize it, but if you keep records of your immunizations, then you’ve actually started a Personal Health Record. And if you’re like many parents I know, you have a file somewhere that you keep these records for yourself and your children.

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Running is one of my favorite sports. For years I have documented specific types of information related to running in many different and dilapidated running notebooks. Number of miles, type of running surface, time to run a certain distance, and pulse rate (during and after running), are just some of the data collected.

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My husband and I have decided that we would like to travel once we retire.  There are so many places we would like to see. For right now, we enjoy summer vacations with our three boys. Each year we pick a new destination that sounds like fun.

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