My Personal Health Record provides online medical record storage. In an emergency health care professionals can access a member's vital health records with mobile devices and the Internet. EHRA is a not-for-profit organization that provides the

Some Of Our More Frequently Asked Questions:

A. About My Personal Health Record (myPHR):
1. What information can be Stored with myPHR?
2. Who can benefit by being registered with myPHR?
3. Should I sign on even if I have no medical problems?
4. How does myPHR compare to other services available?
5. What sets myPHR apart from other medical record storage services?
6. Is myPHR expensive?
7. What is the cost?
8. Is the website and my information safe/secure?
9. How is my privacy protected?
10. Is my information confidential?
11. Can anyone change my health information?
12. How do I register?
13. With the introduction of integrated data systems in many hospitals, isn't myPHR redundant?
14. How Does it work?
15. What if I am in a hospital with no computer access?
16. Can myPHR reduce waiting times?17. Do I always have to carry the card with me?
18. How can I be sure that I'm entering the right information into my personal medical history record?
19. How can I be certain that my sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands?
20. What if I don't have a computer or internet access?

B. Member/Account Questions:
1. How do I create an account
2. How do I update my account information?
3. How do I change my password?
4. What if I forget my password?
5. What if I forget my username?
6. What is the MEMBERSHIP CARD?
7. When do I get my myPHR card and stickers?
8. What if I lose my card?
9. Can I order more cards and/or stickers?
10. What happens to my records if I no longer want to subscribe?

C. Electronic Health Record Questions:
1. How do I enter information into my Electronic Health Record?
2. Do I have to enter all my health record information at once?
3. Can I see who has accessed my records?
4. Can I see what my report looks like?
5. How do I update my records?
6. How do I delete a record?

D. Health Care Professional Questions:
1. How do I see a member's Electronic Health Records?
2. Can our organization just have one logon?
3. How can attending doctors ensure that the information entered by myPHR members is accurate and current?
4. With the introduction of integrated data systems in many hospitals, isn't myPHR redundant?
5. Other than providing emergency information, how else can myPHR aid healthcare workers?
6. How can myPHR help clinics that do not have internet access?
7. Can myPHR help reduce waiting times?
8. Does storing personal medical history records on myPHR put patient confidentiality at risk?
9. How can I find out more information about myPHR?

A. About My Personal Health Record:

1. What information can be Stored with myPHR card?
Almost any information can be stored on our system:
Identification of a patient
Blood type
Current medical conditions (eg. diabetes, deaf, blind etc.)
Medical History (eg. stroke, miocardiofarction)
Allergies
Surgical History
List of current medications
Emergency contact information of family and friends
Sensitivity to certain drugs
Contact information of Health Professionals (eg. doctor, dentist and specialists)
Immunizations
Insurance information

2. Who can benefit by being registered with myPHR?
myPHR is a vital resource for people with major illnesses, drug allergies, and long-term medications. It can act as their electronic voice should they ever be unable to communicate in an emergency.
myPHR is also very useful for anyone intending to travel overseas as the medical, health insurance and contact information contained in the Electronic Health Records are available in the event of an emergency.
Anyone who wants peace of mind knowing that there is access to their health records, no matter where they may be:
Senior citizens
Sales reps that travel
Transport truck drivers
Someone on vacation or traveling
Someone with an allergy
Anyone with an extensive medical history

3. Should I sign on even if I have no medical problems?
myPHR contains more than medical information. It also contains your particulars, family contacts, insurance information and health professional contacts. This information may be required when you seek medical treatment when overseas, and is therefore made available to the attending medical staff in an emergency.

4. How does myPHR compare to other services available?

a) Bracelet Based Services:
Services that offer medical information inscribed on the bracelets are restricted to basic information. Though they offer a phone number that facilities can contact, information still remains limited. There also may be a delay in phoning for a member's information and transfer of data. With myPHR all the information is available at once so the health care professional can get all information at once and not relayed over the phone. Also, with medical information inscribed on a bracelet, it can easily become out of date, as one's medical history changes, forcing the person into purchasing a new bracelet at a cost of $40.00 plus.

b) Emergency Card Services:
Services that offer medical information that can be written out on a card and carried with a member are restricted to basic information. It can easily become out of date, as one's medical history changes, forcing the person into purchasing a new cards at cost of $40 - $50 Who has the time to rewrite everything on the card all the time?

Our focus is on assuring that one's current and full medical history is available to health care professionals. Information can be updated online. Whenever a change occurs in your medical history or insurance information, simply go to http://www.myPHR.ca and sign in using your username and password and easily update your information at your convenience. Your information will be updated instantly.

c) Smart Card Based Services:
Your personal and medical information is placed on a smart card. You have to send in the smart card every time an update is to be made and pay a fee each time. Also, the cards can only be read by people with a specific smart card reader. These smart cards and readers are expensive and the costs are passed on to the consumers.

Our client's personal information is considered as confidential as their medical records. Our membership lists are not given or sold to any associations or companies.

Note: Comparison was done on actual companies - names when comparing these services are withheld for legal reasons.

5. What sets myPHR apart from other medical record storage services?
myPHR's advantage lies in it's ability to act fast in the event of an emergency. This is achieved by the use of a personal card featuring each member's individual number where emergency personnel can access member's information using mobile devices and computers hooked up to the internet. It also allows attending physicians easy access to the member's Personal Medical History Record. In an emergency, the myPHR card serves as a tangible signal that the patient's health history and vital medical information are readily available. This saves valuable time in a life threatening situation when every second counts.

Personal health records are input by our members, allowing them to strike the appropriate balance between their privacy preference and the physician's need to know.

6. Is myPHR expensive?
Our service is FREE!!!. Our only revenue is from sponsors and advertisers that pay us for listing their web sites on our web pages.

Please visit our advertisers if you are interested in what they have to offer.

As a not-for-profit organization myPHR.ca relies on corporate support to cover the costs associated with the creation, production, and disbursement of our publications, resource materials, educational packets, and promoting and maintaining the system Web site pages.

Every corporate donation furthers the service myPHR.ca provides. Corporate leaders recognize myPHR.ca sponsorship as an effective communications tool bringing value to their companies and special acknowledgment and appreciation from the myPHR.ca community. Because the myPHR.ca is a nonprofit service organization, these corporate contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

More information about these sponsors and their products can be found by clicking on the links above. Please recognize that these are commercial sites and, as such, may contain promotional material not necessarily endorsed by myPHR.ca.

7. What is the cost?

FREE !!!

There are no hidden costs involved with our service. Whether it is updating your records or accessing y our files there is no additional cost to you.

Our service is provided by sponsors and advertising on our website. Please visit their websites and see some of the great products and services they offer!

8. Is the website and my information safe/secure?
Security and privacy is out number one priority!
All information sent to and from myPHR.ca is encrypted. The website is more secure than most banks.
You can click on this link find out more about our security: www.myPHR.ca/security.html
You can click on this link find out more about our security: www.myPHR.ca/security.html
SSL Technology - 128 bit encryption (256 for some browsers)
Certified Hackerproof website - tested daily for vulnerability by independent third party
All Information sent to and from service is encrypted - just as (if not more) secure than most banks!
Antivirus system · Intrusion detection system
Compliant with privacy laws - notified when anyone sees your records

9. How is my privacy protected?
Security and privacy is our number one priority!
Only authorized personnel can access your records. Due to recent privacy laws each health care professional has a unique login and all their actions are recorded.

Each Health Care professional is assigned a unique username and password. Every time a health Care Professional logs into the system it is recorded and all of their actions and files that they accessed are also recorded. All Health Professionals who use the system must agree to a confidentiality agreement stating that they will only collect, use and share the least amount of information they need to provide care and treatment. The Health Professional and Privacy Act specifically protects the confidentiality and security of records. Violating the rules in the Health Professional and Privacy Act is a serious offence. Abusers may be subject to fines and disciplinary measures within their licensing or professional organizations.

Members can see at any time who has seen their records by selecting "check access" in your account to see who and when any of your records were looked at. This is a service that is required by the privacy law.
f a health care professional does look at you record you will be sent and email to verify.

You can click on this link find out more about our security: www.myPHR.ca/privacy.html

10. Is my information confidential?
All your information is kept in a secured database, which is protected by unparalleled internet firewalls and encryption. Routine testing are made to ensure the integrity of this system. All information received from you will be treated as confidential and will not be released to any other party.

None of the pages are stored in the computer or mobile device's temporary or cache files and can not be accessed later by anyone else.

11. Can anyone change my health information?
Only a member can change, update or edit a member's their information. An individual would have to have your User ID and Password which is not shown on your card to get access to your information. If you give your login and password to anyone else (eg. doctor, family) then they will be able to update the member's information.

12. How do I register?
Go to http://www.myphr.ca and click on Get an Account. Then enter your information and then press Submit.
A conformation email will be sent to the email address you entered when you created your account. Once you confirm this email address by clicking on the link in the email you will able to log in as a member.
Steps for Registration:

a. Create an account

b. Log into member's area

c. Select ""Add subscription(s)"" and choose your membership type

d. Sign in and select "add a new myPHR card"

e. After you enter your information and press "submit" you will be assigned a 12 digit membership number and we will mail you your myPHR card and stickers.

13. With the introduction of integrated data systems in many hospitals, isn't myPHR redundant?

In an accident, do you think emergency room doctors could get vital information about you? Twenty-five percent of the population think so—but almost no emergency rooms can actually retrieve your critical health information. Do specialists ask you to have blood tests or X-rays repeated, even though your regular doctor recently ordered them? Experts say that up to ten percent of the tests that doctors order are unnecessary or duplicative.
Do you think your doctor keeps your medical information on a computer? Forty percent of the population think so—but only five percent of doctors actually do. Most integrated medical data systems in use to date cannot share data between health organizations.
myPHR serves to supplement these systems when a patient must seek care outside of his regular network of care providers. It does this by providing summarized information that is easily accessible via our website or by our mobile devices.
myPHR is very flexible and made to compliment and integrate with existing record systems
Doctors are resisting centralized systems
Also, records from your doctor are a voluntary push and not pull – therefore if you have an accident the emergency department has to contact you doctor and ask to have your records sent to the emergency department. (resulting in a long delay if you are in a car accident 3am when every second counts!). Because PHR is new - records are only from the present and not from the past or previous visits
Records are shared within a health organization but not with other organizations – this does not help you when you go to another health organization or travel 70% of the population go to private practice or clinics where they don’t have EHR No mobile devices in emergency response vehicles
Are hospitals going to keep track and notify you when someone looks at your records?
Will hospitals allow you to access and see what records they have on you?

14. How Does it work?
myPHR uses the latest mobile wireless technology.
Customers of myPHR sign up online and choose a unique username and password to enter and update their information online at www.myPHR.ca. They are then assigned an ID number and sent a bright yellow myPHR card with the participants ID number.

Included with your myPHR Card is an adhesive sticker to place on the front door of your home and a sticker to apply on your car window. These stickers will alert emergency personnel to the fact that you have a myPHR card and where it is located. It is recommended that you keep your card next to your driver's license.

Members can update their information as many times as they wish.

Whenever a change occurs in their medical history or insurance information, they simply go to www.myPHR.ca and sign in using your username and password and easily update their information at their convenience. Your information will be updated instantly.
Health professionals use mobile wireless devices to access the information from any location. Wireless devices will be pre-programmed so very little time is required to log into the system and can even be done enroute to an emergency. (Access will only get better as technology and wireless devices become more advanced.) Health professionals can also access a patients information using any computer with access to the internet at the myPHR.ca website. A Health Professional logs in and then inputs the ID number of the patient to retrieve their information.

15. What if I am in a hospital with no computer access?
If computer access is not available or when in isolated areas, your medical record can be accessed by doctors through our 24 hours Fax-On-Demand service. (Note: due to privacy laws we must confirm the request through proper authorities (such as Canadian consulate).

16. Can myPHR reduce waiting times?
myPHR should contain the name of the member's family doctor/specialist. With the relevant contact information available to attending doctors and nurses, crucial data such as previous test results, X-rays, electrocardiograms etc. can be located much more quickly. This can substantially reduce waiting time and administrative cost as lengthy searches need not be carried out.
For every 1000 Emergency Department visits, 320 patients had an information gap identified, resulting in an average increased stay of 1.2 hours Steill et al, Information Gaps in the ER, CMAJ 2003

17. Do I always have to carry the card with me?
It is recommended that you always carry the card with you for peace of mind. The information on the card will assist doctors and medical staff in the event of an emergency.

18. How can I be sure that I'm entering the right information into my personal medical history record?
If you are uncertain about the exact nature of your medical history, myPHR strongly advises that you complete the Electronic Health Record form with the assistance of your doctor. This will not only minimize the potential for errors, but will also ensure that the information is timely and relevant. Doctors can also advise as to whether sensitive information will be relevant to attending emergency staff.

You can ask your doctor to enter the information for you. If he does not have the time to enter your medical information directly into your record, simply print the form and bring it to your doctor for his assistance in completing your health history. You can then enter this data into your Electronic Health Record at a later date yourself or with the help of a family member or myPHR staff.

19. How can I be certain that my sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands?
In addition to our state of the art security features, you ultimately decide what data is entered into your Electronic Health Record. Sensitive information may by omitted if it would not influence the treatment and outcome of an emergency.

Our system is also designed to minimize its vulnerability to unauthorized access. Routine strikes are made against the system by our Internet security experts to ensure that there is no unauthorized access.

You will also be notified by e-mail when your Electronic Health Record is accessed by anyone for any purpose, including yourself. This allows you to monitor any unauthorized access to your information.

Notify us at once if you lose your myPHR card and the password will be immediately disabled. Also, you can disable your account at any time by logging on to the website with your User Name and Password. You will be issued a new password and a new card will be sent to you as soon as possible. You can also notify us through email of the loss of your Card. Please direct requests to disable your access code to contact us page.

If you do not have internet access, you may telephone our office. Your password will be disabled and you will be issued a new password and a new card. These will be sent to you as soon as possible.

20. What if I don't have a computer or internet access?
There are a number of different ways to register. The easiest way to register with our service is to simply sign up at http://www.myPHR.ca. You can also contact us by phone or by regular mail. Our address and phone number can be found at Contact Us. Please provide us with your full name and mailing address, including a phone number. A complete information package will be sent to you which will include two copies of our forms, so that you can keep one copy to update your file as needed. Complete one copy of the enclosed forms, either yourself or by your physician, and include any additional documents you wish to have on your file. You will receive your wallet card, which also confirms for you that your file has been added to our system. Relatives can also update member’s information online.

B. Member/Account Questions:

1. How do I create an account?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Get an Account. Then enter your information and then press Submit.
A conformation email will be sent to the email address you entered when you created your account. Once you confirm this email address by clicking on the link in the email you will able to log in as a member.
Steps for Registration:

a. Create an account

b. Log into member's area

c. Select ""Add subscription(s)"" and choose your membership type

d. Sign in and select "add a new myPHR card"

e. After you enter your information and press "submit" you will be assigned a 12 digit membership number and we will mail you your myPHR card and stickers.

2. How do I update my account information?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then select the record that you want to edit. Update the form and then press Submit form on the bottom of the form and your information is updated instantly.

Whenever a change occurs in your medical history or insurance information, simply go to http://www.myPHR.ca and sign in using your username and password and easily update your information at your convenience. Your information will be updated instantly. You can update your information as many times as you wish.

3. How do I change my password?
After you have logged in click on Sign In and enter your new password in your account information. Then press Submit and your password will be updated instantly.

4. What if I forget my password?
If you forget your password you can go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Then select Forgot password. Enter your email address you used when you signed up for your myPHR account and press Submit. The program will randomly generate you a new password and email it to your email address. You can then log in using this new password. Remember after you log in you can change your password at any time in your account profile section.

5. What if I forget my username?
If you forgot your username go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Then select Forgot Username. We will contact you and ask you for the answer to your secret question that you specified when you created your account.

6. What is the membership card?
The Membership Card contains the member's name and their 12 digit myPHR number that authorized health professionals use to access their information. All the health professional has to do is use the mobile device or log into our website www.myPHR.ca and enter member's 12 digit number and the member's vital health records will be displayed and help in treatment decisions, especially during medical emergencies.

7. When do I get my myPHR card and stickers?
After you enter some information in the Electronic Health Record form (minimum is name and address) and press the Submit Form button on the bottom of the form you will be assigned a 12 digit myPHR number and we will mail you your myPHR Card and stickers.

8. What if I lose my card?
You can contact us an we will issue you a new card.

9. Can I order more cards and/or stickers?
You can order more card and stickers at our online store. The cost for the cards and stickers covers the cost for us to produce and mail you more cards and stickers.

10. What happens to my records if I no longer want to subscribe?
All records will be deleted.

C. Electronic Health Record Questions:

1. How do I enter information into my Electronic Health Record?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then select the record that you want to edit. Update the form and then press Submit form on the bottom of the form and your information is updated instantly.

2. Do I have to enter all my health record information at once?
No, after you enter some information in the Electronic Health Record form (minimum is name and address) and press the Submit Form button on the bottom of the form you will be assigned a 12 digit myPHR number and we will mail you your myPHR card and stickers.

3. Can I see who has accessed my records?
Yes, go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then select Check Access for the record that you want to see if anyone has access this health record. Note: Every time a health care professional logs into the system it is recorded and all of their actions and files that they accessed are also recorded. You will also be sent an automatic email if anyone looks at your records.

4. Can I see what my report looks like?
Yes, you can view and print out your report by clicking on View Report after you log in and take your records with you when you travel or to any of your Health Professionals.

5. How do I update my records?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then select the record that you want to edit. Update the form and then press Submit form on the bottom of the form and your information is updated instantly.

6. How do I delete a record?
Yes, go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then select Delete for the record you want to delete.

D. Health Care Professional Questions:

1. How do I see a member's Electronic Health Records?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and click on Sign In. Enter your User Name and Password. Then click on Log On. Then enter the member's 12 digit number in the box and press Search.

2. Can our health care organization just have one logon?
No, due to recent privacy laws each health care professional must have their own username and password.

3. How can attending doctors ensure that the information entered by myPHR members is accurate and current?
Each Electronic Health Record contains a field at the bottom indicating whether the information was entered by the member alone or verified by a doctor. In addition, the date when the Electronic Health Record was last updated will appear at the top of the record.

Like a verbal history taking, these features allow the attending doctor to filter the information for accuracy and currency. As with a verbal history taking where the information is often not 100% accurate, doctors using the information from myPHR must use still exercise their professional judgment with regards to the accuracy and relevancy of the information contained within the Electronic Health Records.

Members can request for the assistance of their family doctor to enter the medical information for them. They can also present the form which can be printed from our website, to their family doctors to have the information filled in. The members can then enter the information into their records at a later date if the doctor is not free to do so immediately.

4. With the introduction of integrated data systems in many hospitals, isn't myPHR redundant?
In an accident, do you think emergency room doctors could get vital information about you? Twenty-five percent of the population think so—but almost no emergency rooms can actually retrieve your critical health information. Do specialists ask you to have blood tests or X-rays repeated, even though your regular doctor recently ordered them? Experts say that up to ten percent of the tests that doctors order are unnecessary or duplicative.

Do you think your doctor keeps your medical information on a computer? Forty percent of the population think so—but only five percent of doctors actually do. Most integrated medical data systems in use to date cannot share data between health organizations.

myPHR serves to supplement these systems when a patient must seek care outside of his regular network of care providers. It does this by providing summarized information that is easily accessible via our website or by our mobile devices.
myPHR is very flexible and made to compliment and integrate with existing record systems.

Doctors are resisting centralized systems.

Also, records from your doctor are a voluntary push and not pull – therefore if you have an accident the emergency department has to contact you doctor and ask to have your records sent to the emergency department. (resulting in a long delay if you are in a car accident 3am when every second counts!). Because PHR is new - records are only from the present and not from the past or previous visits.

Records are shared within a health organization but not with other organizations – this does not help you when you go to another health organization or travel 70% of the population go to private practice or clinics where they don’t have EHR No mobile devices in emergency response vehicles.

Are hospitals going to keep track and notify you when someone looks at your records?
Will hospitals allow you to access and see what records they have on you?

Most integrated medical data systems in use to date cannot share raw data. Presently, there are also no established standard protocols for exchanging data between these systems.

myPHR serves to supplement these systems when a patient must seek care outside of his regular network of care providers. It does this by providing summarized information that is easily accessible via our website or by our mobile devices.

5. Other than providing emergency information, how else can myPHR aid healthcare workers?
myPHR's Electronic Health Records have the potential to significantly reduce the patient encounter. By listing the diagnoses of current diseases, long-term medications, past major surgeries and drug allergies, the physician can better focus his examination.

Acting to facilitate communication between the doctor and patient in this way, myPHR can also improve the doctor-patient relationship by bridging communication barriers.

6. How can myPHR help clinics and other health professionals that do not have internet access?
You can view and print out your report by clicking on View Report after you log in and take your records with you when you travel or to any of your Health Professionals.

7. Can myPHR help reduce waiting times?
myPHR should contain the name of the member's family doctor/specialist. With the relevant contact information available to attending doctors and nurses, crucial data such as previous test results, X-rays, electrocardiograms etc. can be located much more quickly. This can substantially reduce waiting time and administrative cost as lengthy searches need not be carried out.
For every 1000 Emergency Department visits, 320 patients had an information gap identified, resulting in an average increased stay of 1.2 hours Steill et al, Information Gaps in the ER, CMAJ 2003

8. Does storing Electronic Health Records on myPHR put patient confidentiality at risk?
All data sent to and from myPHR is encrypted. Security and privacy is our number one priority and we are compliant with recent privacy laws. Each health care provider is assigned a unique username and password. Every time a health care professional logs into the system it is recorded and all of their actions and files that they accessed are also recorded. You will also be sent an automatic email if anyone looks at your records. You can also view who has seen your records online.

9. How can I find out more information about myPHR?
Go to http://www.myPHR.ca and select Contact Us and submit any further questions or concerns.

In the minutes that decide life or death, will your doctors have all your vital medical information?

Take control of your health records today!

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