MX2008003495A - Method and system for providing online medical records - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for providing a consumer with the ability to access and collect health records associated with the consumer through use of a consumer account is provided. The method includes assigning a destination address individually associated with the consumer account for receiving communications from at least one healthcare provider, associating access information with the consumer account for the consumer to use to access a secure web site, the communications including a health record associated with the consumer for which the consumer has requested and given permission to the healthcare provider to send, storing a representation of the health record, and providing the consumer with secure access to the web site using the access information and providing on the web site an interface to the health records of the consumer for the consumer to use.;The destination address can be a phone number or an email address. The web site also provides for storing, organizing, annotating documents, uploading documents (including vital documents) by the consumer, and providing additional layers of security to particular documents.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ONLINE MEDICAL RECORDS Field of the invention The present invention relates to the provision of online medical records. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing a means for consumers to request their medical records from health service providers, store their medical records and provide private communications between consumers and their health service providers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Medical information and other health information may be particularly sensitive communications. Laws such as the HIPPA Privacy Rule restrict, limit or impose specific conditions on the dissemination of medical records. Laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provide a patient the right to access their own medical records. A health provider, such as a hospital, may require a patient to present their own privacy practices as a condition for treatment or admission. A statement of privacy practice by the health provider will probably explain that the patient is entitled REF. : 191209 to inspect and copy their medical records, but there may be significant bureaucratic obstacles to overcoming the burden on both the health provider and the patient. For example, the patient may have to provide a written request, there may be processing delays to receive copies of the medical or health-related records, and the patient may incur additional processing charges resulting from the inconvenience created so that the Health provider meets bureaucratic hurdles that they put in place to avoid inadequately describing their patients' records. Of course, privacy concerns that refer to a patient's medical records create other problems for health service providers. For example, assuming that a health care provider has to communicate with a patient by telephone to know about him, request additional information that refers to a current condition of the patient, schedule a test, report the results of a test, express the need for an additional visit or for other reasons related to providing patient health services. The health service provider calls the patient home or work and the patient is not there. Instead, the phone is answered by another person who could be a partner of work or family member. As an alternative, the health service provider is provided with the opportunity to leave a voicemail message. The health service provider must be very careful to avoid accidentally revealing private information. Thus, the health service provider may be unable to leave a message with another person or in a voicemail system if doing so could violate the privacy rights or expectations of patient privacy. Even in cases where the health service provider may be legally authorized to do this through a previously agreed privacy policy, doing so could be against a person's will because he or she did not understand what he or she was consenting to when accepting the policy. privacy or did not understand your rights under the privacy policy. A message to the patient could provide other parties with more information than the patient would like them to know. Even when a health care provider tries to leave a seemingly innocuous message in a voicemail system or with another individual, more information could be shared than the patient wants to share. For example, a message left with someone asking the patient to call a private doctor may be more than the patient would like to share with others. For example, suppose that it was known or determined The doctor is easily an obstetrician and the patient is a woman who does not want other significant people to know that she is pregnant. Assume that the doctor is known or easily determined to be an oncologist and the patient does not want his co-workers or his employer to know that the patient has cancer. The simple knowledge of the name of the doctor, in these cases would be enough to make a logical assumption about the condition or potential condition of the patient. A patient may consider this a violation of their privacy. Regardless of whether or not the patient has legal recourse, this could result in the patient becoming upset and could have a negative impact on the relationship between the patient and their health care provider. Of course, instead of leaving a message, a health care provider would simply call back, but this is inconvenient for the health care provider or his staff and could unduly delay the amount of time before the patient receives the message. message. Thus, private and secure communications would benefit both the health service provider and the patient. The health care provider would not have to worry about revealing private information to someone who should not know the information. Also, the patient would be more likely to receive the news sooner and could be quiet knowing that your privacy was respected. Another problem that refers to medical records is that when an individual consults several health service providers, the inconvenience of requesting medical records multiplies. Given the inconvenience and potential delay in obtaining records, it is also likely that in such cases the individual does not actually collect a complete medical history. As long as the individual has his records, he must determine a method to store and organize them. Another problem that relates to medical records is that more are commonly required at a time when the individual is unable to provide them. For example, in emergency situations it would be desirable for caregivers to know and understand the individual's medical history. Knowledge of specific allergies may be essential to avoid the administration of medications that could adversely impact the individual's condition. Knowledge of pre-existing conditions could be essential for a correct diagnosis and treatment. What is desired is a way in which relevant medical records can be shared when more are required. Several attempts have been made to help consumers with their medical records in different ways. An example of this attempt is Synchart. Synchart is a network service (www.synchart.com) that allows consumers to enter their personal and family health information into a database. Users can enter consultations with the doctor, immunizations, visits to hospitals, allergies and other relevant information and generate reports based on the data entered. As part of the services, consumers receive a CD with their medical information data, as well as a wallet card. Because medical data is stored on the Synchart network server, the user's health information is accessible from any computer connected to the Internet, which Synchart assures will allow doctors and other providers to have access to user information if the user gives information about your account. One of the problems with a service such as Synchart is that it requires users to enter information about their health records into a database, a time-consuming and problematic process that is inconvenient and sometimes difficult. These aspects are magnified more if an individual does not have a complete understanding of their medical records. Another problem with this system is that administrative errors by the user can result in inaccurate information in the user's medical records. One more problem is that medical information is not immediately available if the The individual does not immediately enter the information. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that commonly when an individual frequently consults health care providers he is sick or injured and it is particularly inconvenient for him to update his medical records. Finally, this system does not resolve aspects of obtaining medical records from the health service provider. Redi-Records is another example of a system that helps consumers access their medical records. For a fee, Redi-Records will collect all the medical records of a subscriber of different doctors or hospitals. Once the records are collected, Redi-Records will digitize them and record them in two mini-CDs. Users can carry a mini-CD in their wallet and have the other one at home. For an additional cost, the company will update a user's records every 180 or 90 days. This service is marketed with the promise that having records in a mini-CD will make it easier to receive proper treatment in case of a medical emergency. One of the problems with this approach is that the records are not necessarily updated. Another problem with this approach is that a third party is involved so complex forms will have to be completed by the consumer and the consumer's suppliers to grant the third party access to the medical records, which could cause delays in the collection of information. Due to the involvement of a third party, there is a chain of human management of the documents that could compromise the privacy of the same. In addition, mini-CDs may not be secured or password protected, or information about how to access them may be readily available. When mini-CDs are not secured or password protected, unauthorized individuals may have access to a person's medical records. Another approach of the prior art is HeartRecord (www.heartcenteronline.com). This service focuses on cardiac patients. Users pay a subscription fee and are able to enter information about their medical history, doctors and prescriptions in a database that is accessible using the Internet and a secure password. As a result, important information is available in case of a medical emergency or when users visit a doctor. HeartRecord allows users to upload their electrocardiograms and other vital images to their account either from a computer, or by email, fax or regular mail the image to the company. HeartRecord has several inherent problems. The HeartRecord system imposes the burden of entering data and uploading images completely to the user. The system of HeartRecord can not contemplate the possible ignorance of the user to enter data and upload images. It also assumes that the user will keep his record updated by diligently practg uploading new data and images to his own account. Another problem with this service is that it is limited in scope. A further problem with this system is that it does not create a private communications link between a doctor and patient. Another approach of the prior art is demonstrated by Personal MD. This product (www.personalmd.com) uses a fax-based technology to allow users to store records that can be accessed through the Internet. Personal MD also offers a feature in which users can present the most critical information in a folder marked "Emergencies"; which can be printed by staff via fax in case of a medical crisis. MD Staff also offers medication reminders and other calendar features, and the site includes syndicated health information content. One of the problems with this approach is the difficulty of using it. For example with Personal MD, a non-dedicated number is used and then the person sending a fax must enter a PIN before sending the fax. This can create an unacceptable inconvenience for a busy doctor's office and can cause frustration. Also, create a additional opportunity for human error whenever the use of the wrong PIN number can direct the fax to the wrong destination. Moreover, the non-dedicated number may be busier than idle, adding to the frustration of updating or accessing the user's medical records. This system does not focus on providing a private communication link between a patient and their health service provider. Another approach of the prior art is Web MD Health Manager offered by WebMD (www.webmd.com). This system allows users to enter data about their personal health such as health conditions, blood pressure, cholesterol level and other parameters. This system will then run those numbers against a database to provide a personal "self-evaluation" and provide advice on better health. This system does not provide for the storage of medical records or a private communication link between a healthcare provider and a patient. Another approach of the prior art is available from iHealthRecord.org. This service provides an interactive data entry screen that allows users to enter their personal and family health histories. This information can then be printed by creating a wallet card. One of the problems with this approach is that it requires users to enter information about their medical records into a database, a time-consuming and complicated task that assumes that the user will be willing to update their health history, but even doing so could result in inaccuracies. In addition, this approach does not provide a secure communications link between a health care provider and their patient or offer storage and management of personal health records and doctors. Another example of a prior art approach is described in the patent application of E.U.A. Publication No. 2004/0267572 to Emery et al. Emery is targeting a system for an online database for personal, medical, appointment and other information. Emery also describes providing patients with emergency information identification cards that provide information that can be used to access the online database. The Emery system requires that the patient or health service provider access the online database and modify the health records online. Thus, this system is complicated to use, requiring patients to enter their own information without errors in a timely manner or request health service providers to add another additional service which may require additional time, resources and familiarity or training with the system. Another approach of the prior art is described in the patent application of E.U.A. Publication No. 2005/0209891 to Jacobus et al. Jacobus describes organizing and adding medical records, clinical observations and medical images in a common database that is accessible on the network. Jacobus also allows providers to upload or update patient records and patients to request that their information be uploaded. This system requires that the health service provider use the system and be involved in the process. Thus, a patient would be unable to fully benefit from this system without all of their health service providers using the same system, which their health service providers may not want or be able to do, particularly given the time and costs added. that could be associated with using this system. Another approach of the prior art is described in the patent application of E.U.A. Publication No. 2005/0251423 to Bellam et al. Bellam describes a programmable rules-based interface between a patient and an electronic medical record (EMR) which allows controlled access by the patient to the EMR to increase patient participation in the health services process. Bellam really limits a patient's access to their own data. In addition, Bellam does not solve the problems of obtaining a complete and accurate EMR. Thus, despite the advances in these areas, problems remain. In particular, there is a general lack of recognition of the need to provide secure and private communications between a healthcare provider and their patient, and to do so in a manner that is convenient for both the health care provider and the patient. . There is also a lack of general recognition of the problems for an individual to exercise their rights to receive access to their health service records and be able to store and keep those records in a secure and password protected account that allows them to organize folders.

Brief description of the invention Therefore, a main objective, characteristic or advantage of the present invention is to improve the state of the art. A further object, feature or advantage of the present invention is to facilitate health service personnel to comply with HIPAA or other legal requirements that relate to the privacy of medical records. An additional objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide an individual with access Significant to your records of health services allowing you in this way to exercise your legal rights with respect to controlling access to your medical records. Another objective, feature or additional advantage of the present invention is to provide individuals with immediate access to records of health services in emergency situations to help provide them with adequate care. A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a convenient and economical method for health service providers to comply with laws that relate to the privacy of health service records. A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a convenient and economical method for individuals to request their health service providers to provide copies of medical records. Another objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a private communication link between health service personnel and their patients. Another objective, feature or additional advantage of the present invention is to make an individual control his medical records and allow him to selectively provide access to others.

A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to facilitate the storage of all the medical records of an individual or family and related information in one place so that health service personnel can be given information / medical history. complete when medical records are required or can be carried out. Another objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a means for individuals to create calendars that remind them of the need to refill their recipes. Another objective, feature or additional advantage of the present invention is to provide a means for individuals to create calendars that keep appointments with physicians. A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide reminder messages that refer to the need to refill recipes or remember appointments with the physician. A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for storing, organizing and recording medical records and also for personalizing storage by giving the user the ability to name the folders in which those records are stored.

Another object, feature or advantage of the present invention is to give users the ability to upload images, such as X-rays or resonance images. Another objective, feature or additional advantage of the present invention is to give users the ability to forward records by fax to a health service provider. An objectiveAnother feature or advantage of the present invention is to give users the ability to see if there is any possible interaction between the prescription medications they are taking. A further objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to provide a means for individuals to store and have access not only to medical records, but to other types of health records including dental records, records of health services associated with pets and vital documents, including, without limitation, wills, living wills, a power of attorney, and a power of attorney for health services. Another objective, feature or advantage of the present invention is to allow the health service provider to quickly and easily, but safely, communicate records associated with an individual to the individual. One or more of these and / or other objects, features or advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the description and following claims. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided to provide a consumer with the ability to access and collect personal health records associated with the consumer. The method includes assigning a telephone number associated individually with the consumer for fax or voice communications from a health service provider and associating the access information with the consumer so that he has access to a secure network site. The consumer is provided with a document to provide the health service provider with the legal rights of the consumer access to health records, the document requests the health service provider to send the health records to the telephone number. The method further provides receiving a private fax communication comprising a personal health record associated with the consumer that the consumer has requested and given permission to the health service provider to send, convert private fax communications into an image file format (such as a PDF), which stores the health record encoded in the image file format, and provides the consumer with secure access to the network site using the access information and providing on the network site an interface to the records of consumer health so that the consumer has access to the health record. The document may include an adhesive or be a decal so that it can be easily attached to the health records. An emergency access card that includes access information and that can be used by a third party to access the health record associated with the consumer in the event of a medical emergency associated with the consumer may also be provided. The network site interface preferably allows health records to be organized into separate file folders with functionality for the consumer to name file folders and add file folders as well as provide additional password protection for file folders. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a device is provided to assist a consumer in exercising rights over health records associated with the consumer, accessing health records, maintaining private health records and providing access to records. of health in case of emergency. The equipment includes an access card comprising access information associated with the consumer that will be used to access a secure network site that provides access to consumer health records that will be used to transmit the access information to the consumer. other people in case of a medical emergency associated with the consumer. The equipment also includes at least one decal that exercises legal rights of the consumer over health service records and that includes instructions for a health service provider to electronically send the health records to a destination and where the health records sent to the destination are accessible on the secure network site. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system for communicating personal health records of a consumer is provided. The system includes a consent document, a fax server and a network server. The consent document, preferably a decal, provides instructions to give permission to a health care provider to fax consumer health records to a dedicated telephone number associated with the consumer. The fax server is to receive faxes from health records addressed to the dedicated telephone number. The network server is in operational communication with the fax server and is adapted to provide a secure network-based interface to health records. The network-based interface provides the ability to upload images through a network browser, allow a user to send faxes to health service providers and perform other functions associated with Manage your health service records. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided to give a consumer the ability to access and collect health records associated with the consumer through the use of a consumer account. The method includes assigning a destination address associated individually with the consumer's account to receive communications from at least one health service provider. The destination address can be an individually assigned toll-free number or an e-mail address. The method also provides associating access information with the consumer's account for the consumer to use to access a secure network site and receive a communication from one of the at least one health service provider. The communication is addressed to the destination address and includes a health record associated with the consumer that the consumer has requested and given permission to the health service provider to send. The method further includes storing a representation of the health record, preferably in an image file format. The method further includes providing the consumer with secure access to the network site using the access information and providing on the network site an interface to consumer health records for use by the consumer. The access information can 1 include a first set of access information to provide a first level of security and at least a second set of access information to provide an additional level of security. In addition, the method may also include receiving a record of health services, a vital document or other information from a consumer through a file upload to the network site. The record of health services may be a record of health services of a family member, pet, a dental record, or other type of health service record.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system of the present invention. Figure 2 is an illustrative representation of a decal that authorizes the transmissions of records to the user's account in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3A and Figure 3B illustrate a card with access information to medical records according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system of the present invention. Figure 5A and Figure 5B are flowcharts that illustrate an enrollment process according to a embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a flow chart for accessing records according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a visual display on a screen of a network site according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is another screen visual presentation of a network site according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a visual display on the screen according to one modality. Figure 10 is a screen visual presentation for administration of folders according to another modality. Figure 11 is a screen display for a file upload feature according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 is an illustrative representation of a preferred embodiment of a decal providing instructions for faxing medical records. Figures 13 and 14 are illustrative representations of a preferred embodiment of a wallet card that can be used in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of drug interaction report and analysis of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method convenient for individuals to collect and store their private medical information and provide private communications between the individual and their health service providers. One of the ways in which the present invention collects and stores private medical information and facilitates private communications is through the use of a LIFELINE (lifeline) which is a dedicated toll-free number for fax and voice communications. This dedicated toll-free number provides direct and private communications between a health care provider and their patient so that a health care provider can ensure that they are maintaining confidential communications with the patient and to avoid violating applicable privacy laws or regulations. patient's expectations regarding privacy. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system 100 of the present invention. In figure 1, a consumer or patient 102 is displayed. A health service provider 104 as well as a fax / voice server 106 is also shown. A network server 108 is operatively connected to the fax / voice server 106. The health service provider 104 uses the telephone 110 to communicate private voice mail messages through a free dedicated telephone number to the fax / voice server 106. In addition, the provider health services faxes health or medical records 112 to the fax / voice server 106 using the free dedicated telephone number. The medical record 112 is preferably an adhesive or sticker 114 present in the medical record 112. The adhesive 114 indicates or instructs the health service provider 104 or its staff to fax the information to the free dedicated telephone number. In addition, the adhesive 114 provides an indication of a clear consent of the patient 102 to the health service provider 104 to the free dedicated telephone number. Thus, it becomes a simple process for a consumer or patient 102 to provide their health care provider with 104 instructions for sending health records by fax, a simple process for the health service provider 104 to obtain permission to fulfill a request for health care. records of health services, and a simple process for the health service provider 104 to do so in a safe and convenient manner whenever the fax is going directly to a dedicated dedicated telephone number associated with the patient 102. The server network 108 is connected operatively to the fax / voice server 106 such as over a network or otherwise. A patient 102 or his proxy can communicate directly with the network server 108 through a computing device 109 or the fax / voice server 106 using a telephone 117. The patient 102 can use a LIFELINE 116 card containing access information to enter the network server 108 associated with a network site of the present invention, or as a reminder of your free dedicated telephone number which you can call to access voice mail messages, listen to a voice text conversion of emails or otherwise have access to information. The present invention also allows a patient 102 to upload files using a computing device 109 to the network server 108. In addition, the patient 102 can use the computing device 109 to interact with the network server 108 to specify that a prescription or other personal health record is sent by fax via the fax / voice server 106 to a health service provider 104. Figure 2 illustrates a mode of an adhesive 114 that a patient will give to his or her health care provider to request or instruct your health care provider to fax medical records to the free dedicated telephone number associated with the patient. Although it prefers the use of an adhesive 114 because of the added convenience provided of being able to permanently or semi-permanently attach it to a patient folder in the office of a health service provider, the present invention contemplates that other documents may be used. The adhesive 114 includes the telephone number LIFELINE 20 which is the free dedicated telephone number associated with the patient. Note that there is no required PIN number which greatly simplifies the process of faxing documents. In addition, the name 122 of the patient is shown. There is also a written request 124 on the sticker 114 that instructs the health service provider to fax the records and explicitly gives permission to fax the health services record. The language of the written request 124 may vary as necessary to comply with any applicable law. It should be appreciated that the adhesive 114 provides great convenience both to an individual who wishes to instruct his health care provider to give access to his medical records as well as to the health care provider who can now easily provide the individual with access to their records. doctors The present invention further contemplates that medical alert information may also be placed on the adhesive 114. The types of medical alert information include, without limitation, blood type information (i.e., ABO information and Rhesus), drug allergies, presence of a pacemaker, diabetes, epilepsy or other conditions. Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment of this adhesive. Note that in Figure 12 an adhesive 800 is shown. The adhesive 800 includes instructions for faxing or e-mailing medical records 802 which serve to exercise the rights of a patient according to 45 C.F.R. § 164.522 and 45 C.F.R. § 164.524 (HIPAA Privacy Regulations) to obtain a copy of your protected health information (PHI) and to have these communications sent to the patient at an alternative location. In particular, instructions 802 instruct the health care provider to fax a copy of the PHI to a private and personal mailbox at a local or toll-free number after each visit and / or as long as the PHI is updated at all times. that the patient can keep a copy of their PHI. Alternatively, the 802 instructions provide instructions to the health service provider to email the records to a specified 810 email address. The adhesive 800 includes a region 804 for the patient to print or write his name and a region 806 for the patient to print or write his date of birth. There is also an 808 region for the fax number to which the medical records are provided. Preferably, the number is a free fax or room number assigned to the patient. There is also an 810 region for an email address to which medical records should be sent. Figure 3A and Figure 3B illustrate one embodiment of a LIFELINE card 116. The LIFELINE card has a front side 130 and an opposite rear side 132. The card 116 includes name of the individual 122, a URL for a network site 136 that stores records doctors for the individual. In addition, there is access information 134 such as a username and password. The card 116 also includes the free dedicated telephone number 120 associated with the individual. On the back or front side 132 of the card 116 as best seen in Figure 3B, medical alert information 139 is provided. The medical alert information 139 may include allergies that the individual has, medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, the presence of a pacemaker or other medical information that could be of great importance to evaluate or treat the individual in the event of a medical emergency. Medical alert information may also include blood type information (ie, ABO and Rhesus information). Also, instructions 138 are provided on card 116 to indicate how someone could have access to complete medical records or information about the individual.

The present invention contemplates including the adhesive 114 (or other permit / application document) and the LIFELINE 116 card in a welcome kit when an individual or family enrolls or contracts the service. In addition, from the network site associated with the service, preferably stickers and / or additional cards can be printed and information can be updated as necessary. Figures 13 and 14 illustrate another embodiment of a card card of the present invention. The portfolio card 820 includes a first side 822 and a second opposite side 824. As shown in Figure 13, the first side 822 of the portfolio card 820 has a first panel 826 and a second panel 828. The first panel 826 includes identification information about an individual and emergency instructions 830. Emergency instructions 830 indicate that access to protected health information may be accessed, in an emergency, on a network site. The second panel 828 of the first side 822 of the portfolio card 820 includes information about the insurance and the patient's signature. As best shown in FIG. 14, the second side 824 of the wallet card 820 includes emergency contact information, including a secret question or password so that the emergency contact person can better verify that it is an emergency contact. emergency, and it is not a fraudulent notification. The second side 824 of the portfolio card 820 also preferably includes information that relates to current medications, allergies, blood type and medical conditions that may be critical to providing adequate emergency care. Figure 4 illustrates one embodiment of a system of the present invention. Preferably this system is implemented using equipment from Prairie Systems, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska, although the present invention contemplates that other vendors may be used. As shown in Figure 4, the system 200 includes a fax / voice server 202. The fax / voice server 202 is accessible by a fax machine 204 or a telephone 208 through the use of a dedicated telephone number 206. Preferably, the telephone number 206 is free as this increases the accessibility and convenience of the system, which is very important. However, the telephone number 206 could also be a direct dial telephone number. When the fax / voice server 202 receives a call, a determination is made in step 210 as to whether the call is a voice call or a fax call. When the call is a voice call, an interactive voice response (IVR) system is used to determine who the caller is, the purpose of the call or other information, and then it is stored any voicemail message in the voice storage 212. The system is adapted to notify the individual that there is a voicemail message through an email notification in step 214 and / or other types of notification in the stage 216. Other types of notification may include, but are not limited to, text messages to a cell phone or pager. Thus, a health care provider can call the LIFELINE 206 number and leave a voicemail message for the individual and know that the communication is a private communication. In this way, the health care provider can leave private and confidential information, such as the results of a test, or the need to schedule a new appointment, or other information. The individual is alerted to the presence of the voice mail message and can then call the fax / voice server 202 to review the messages. When the documents are sent by fax, fax images are taken and converted into portable document format (PDF) documents 218. Although the PDF format is preferred, the present invention contemplates that other types of document conversions can be carried out according to is suitable in a particular implementation of the present invention. Based on the dedicated telephone number 206 used to send the documents, the documents sent by fax are assigned to a user account and stored in step 220. The individual is alerted via e-mail that the documents have been sent in step 224. Alternatively, the individual is alerted via text messages in step 222 that an email has been sent. fax. The network site of the present invention provides a convenient location for collecting and storing health service records and providing secure access to records. It also provides a convenient way to sign up for a service to provide online access to health records. Figures 5A and 5B provide an embodiment of an enrollment process. In Figure 5A, a user 250 has access to a home page 252 of a medical records network site. In step 254, a determination is made as to whether the user 250 is an existing member. If it is a member, then in step 256 the user is provided with access to his user interface as shown in figure 6. If not, then in step 258 a determination is made as to whether the user 250 agrees with the user. the terms and conditions of the service. If not, then in stage 260 the user is thanked for his interest but is not allowed to continue. The user is also given the option or is encouraged to send the terms and conditions to a printer in step 262 so that he can review them carefully and keep a copy for your records if you wish. If in step 258 the user agrees to the terms and conditions of the service, then in step 264 the system collects the user data. The user data 266 may include surnames, name, address information, city, state, zip code, telephone number, email / pager / cellular device information, name of emergency contacts, emergency contact telephone number, telephone number of the main physician, insurance information, allergies and medications and / or other information. If all fields are received in step 268, then in step 272 the system allocates a username and password. It should be understood that the user can also request a particular user name and / or set their own password. When a user selects their own password, then in step 270 a determination is made as to whether the password satisfies security requirements. For example, there may be a minimum number of characters required, or there must be at least one numeric character, or other requirements. When the user is allowed to select his own name, in step 274, a database of user names is searched and in step 276 a determination is made as to whether or not the name is available. If it is, then at 278 the user is allowed to create a personal identification number (PIN) In step 280, a rule such as one that requires a particular number of digits or minimum digits applies. In step 282 the PIN is validated and the enrollment process proceeds to collection options in step 284. In Figure 5B, the user is allowed to select a plan in step 286. The individual could, for example, select a plan individual or family of plan options 288. In step 290, the user enters credit card information 292 which may include a credit card number, billing address and CW number. This information is then presented to a payment processor 294. In step 298, a determination is made as to whether the credit card information can be authorized for payment. If not, then the number of retries is determined in step 296 and the user is allowed to re-enter his credit card information in step 290. If there have already been two attempts to validate the credit card information, then in the stage 300 is indicated to the individual who can not register at that time and should try again later. If payment is authorized in step 298, then in step 302 a dedicated toll-free telephone number is assigned and an IP address associated with the user is recorded. In step 304 a user account is created. In step 306 an email notification confirming the registration is sent to the user. In step 308 the user You can start setting up your personal network site such as your database of doctors, family members, calendar or otherwise set up your network site. When a calendar is used, the present invention contemplates that the calendar can be synchronized with an application such as Microsoft Outlook, a calendar program associated with a PDA, or another personal information administrator. After registration, the user can access the user interface of the network site. Figure 6 illustrates a mode of user interface 256. User 250 may have access to main page 252. In step 400, a determination is made as to whether the system recognizes the IP address that is being used by the user. user as being associated with the user. If the IP address is not recognized then additional security measures are taken beginning at step 414. In step 414 a username and a double password entry level are required. If an entry is valid, then the process proceeds to step 424. If not, then in step 418 the number of invalid entry attempts is monitored and if there are three, then in step 420 the account is frozen. Returning to step 400, if the IP address is recognized as being associated with the user, then in step 402 a user name and a single password entry level it is required. In step 412 a determination is made as to whether the password is valid or not. If a password is valid, then the process goes to step 424. If not, then in step 404 a determination is made as to the number of invalid attempts. After three invalid attempts, in step 406 the account is frozen and in step 408 an email is sent to the individual who can, in step 410, implement procedures to change the password and reopen the account. Returning to step 424, a determination is made as to whether the account is associated with an individual or a family. If the account is associated with a family, then in step 426 the user can select the family member and have access to the family database 428. If in step 424 the account is not a family account, then in Step 430 the user can see his mailbox showing new PDF files and voice files. Preferably, these new files include date and time stamps so that the user can see when the files were received. In step 432, the user is allowed to write down the messages to better identify the messages in a manner that is convenient for the user. In step 434, the user can play the voicemail messages. In step 436, the user may select to save the messages in a 438 voice storage or send the message to the trash 440. In step 442, the user can select a doctor to associate with the voicemail messages. For example, the doctor whvoice mail or picture document was received. Preferably the doctor is in the database of doctors 444. If not, then in step 460, the user can update the medical database 444 to include the doctor. The user can then organize the voice mail or document according to the preference of the user in one or more file folders. Examples of file folders include RX 446, XRAYS 448, LABS 450, EXAM NOTES 452, OTHER 454. The user can create new file folders such as the 456 file folder and identify it appropriately. The user interface offers 458 features such as moving files between folders, drag and drop, cut and paste, and / or other functions that will help the user review their records. The present invention contemplates that each of the file folders be protected with one or more additional passwords. This implementation is particularly useful in a number of contexts. For example, the use of multiple passwords allows information such as insurance information, financial information or other private information to be protected in a different way than Medical records. Another example of when this additional layer of security can be useful is when a single account is shared by a family consisting of two parents and several children. Each parent can have their own folder protected separately by password so that the other parent can not access their folder, but still allows both parents to access their children's folders. Figure 7 illustrates a modality of a screen display of the present invention. In Figure 7, the screen display 500 includes a menu bar 502 along the top with different menu items such as "Home" 504, "My Medical Records" 506, "My Calendar" 508, " Manage Prescriptions "510 and" My Doctor "512. The display screen 500 also includes a reminder to the individual of his or her free dedicated telephone number LIFELINE 514. A message center 516 includes alerts regarding recent faxes, voice mails, appointments of doctor, refills of recipes or other related events. The user can view recent faxes 518 and can archive each fax using fax archiving options 520 that allow the user to give a document title to the fax, associate a doctor with the fax, present the fax in a particular account where the account be a family account and identify the fax as a recipe, X-ray / image or laboratory report. It should also be appreciated that a user does not have to fax the documents to himself. Instead, the user can upload scanned documents or other files in any number of formats. Figure 8 illustrates another example of a screen display according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 8, the visual display 550 also includes a file section 552 in which different folders are displayed for storing and oizing information. This allows users to store records in a manner suitable for them. In one modality, the folders may include separate folders for laboratory reports, prescriptions, X-rays / images, dental records, laboratory reports, prescriptions and all records. As shown in Figure 8, there is a promotional space 554. The present invention allows proportional material to be placed in the promotional space 554 that is of potential interest to the user. Promotional information may come from a third party or advertiser. In addition, news information can be placed on a portion of news 556 information on the network page. News information may include recent news that refer to the medications that the patient is taking, news of health and physical education or other news of interest or potential importance for the user. Figure 9 is another example of a screen display 560 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that a MYACCOUNT 513 option is displayed near the top of the 560 screen display. Also note that a user is allowed to select a family member using the drop-down list box 515. There is also an option to upload a record 602 provided in such a way that a user can upload files of various types directly to his account. In the MY FILES portion 552 a plurality of file folders are shown, including: EMERGENCY 562 folder, X-RAY / IMAGES 564 folder, LAB REPORTS 566, VACCINATIONS 568, OBSTETRICS 570, PATIENT CHARTS 572, DENTAL 574, PET / VET 576 , SURGERIES 578, OFFICE VISITS 580, TEST RESULTS 582, CARDIOLOGY 584, PEDIATRICS 586, UROLOGY 588, VITAL DOCUMENTS 590, eSAFEDEPOSITBOX 592. The different file folders shown provide a convenient method for users to oize their files. Note that each folder indicates how many files are stored within the file folder. A WHAT'S NEW 594 portion allows users to know about new offers or other information. A panel FAMILY 596 can visually present information or links to information relevant to families. A SENIORS 598 panel can visually present information or links to information relevant to seniors. A MEDICAL 600 panel can visually present information or link to information relevant to physicians. Of course, the present invention contemplates that panels 596, 598 and 600 do not have to be present, and when present they can be used to transmit other types of information of potential interest to users. Figure 10 is another example of a screen display according to one embodiment of the present invention. The visual presentation on screen 610 allows the management of folders. A folder management portion 612 includes a list of several folders (16 are shown) with a column 614 indicating the current name for each folder and a column 616 indicating the new name to be assigned to each folder. In operation a user can change the name of the folders to adapt them to their particular needs. Note that at least a portion of the folders have a password associated with it. This provides an additional security layer to these files. Figure 11 is a screen display for a file feature uploaded according to another embodiment of the present invention. The visual display on screen 630 allows uploading a medical record 602. The window to upload a record 632 allows the user to select a file that will be uploaded 634 when navigating 636 to the location of the stored file. For example, if the user has chest x-rays saved in an image format such as jpeg, he or she may be able to navigate to the file and upload the 634 file to add or update their current set of medical records. The window uploading a record 632 also allows the user to register a title 638 for the uploaded file 634. In addition, the window uploading a record 632 allows the user to associate the uploaded file 634 with the appropriate physician selected from a drop-down list 640. If the account is a family or a joint type account and allows to store medical records for several people, the user can use the drop-down menu 642 to select the member of the family 642 with whom this newly uploaded file 634 should be associated. The window uploading a record 632 also allows the user to record a date 644 associated with the newly uploaded file 634. Finally, the user has the option to select the individual folders 646 when he wants a copy of the newly uploaded file 634 to be saved. For example, the user may wish to save the chest x-rays in the x-ray folder and images as well as other folders, such as the emergency folder, folder for laboratory reports and / or surgeries. The window upload a 632 record allows users to periodically update their personal medical records with important medical information and associate that information with the appropriate folders. The window uploading a 632 record also makes it easier for the user to browse and save medical records electronically in a convenient and organized manner. In one mode, not only is a password required to access the network site, but an additional password is required to access this folder. This feature may be adequate in a number of different situations. For example, a family may share an account, but each spouse may keep certain files confidential from others. 0 When a health service information is accessed in an emergency (or through the fraudulent use of an emergency card), the more private information that is protected with a second level of password protection remains secure. As shown there are buttons 618, 622, 624, 626 to provide a secondary level of password protection. Figure 15 illustrates a modality for using health related information collected to provide additional benefits to a consumer. For example, the present invention allows a system 800 that includes a database of personal health records 850 and a database of drug interactions 852 operatively connected to an analysis system 854. The analysis system 854 is operatively connected to a drug interaction reporting component 856. Personal health records 850 include information that refers to which prescription drugs are being taken by the user. The database of drug interactions 852 includes information that refers to known interactions between different drugs. The 854 analysis system analyzes the prescription drugs taken by the user to determine if there is any known interaction that could be adverse in any way for the user. Based on the results of this analysis, the drug interaction report component 856 reports the results to the user, their pharmacist, physician or other health service provider as appropriate. The present invention contemplates that the drug interaction report 856 can be reported in different ways to different people based on factors such as user preferences that refer to the drug interaction report, the severity or certainty of an adverse drug interaction determined , or in another way. The present invention contemplates that in addition to the analysis and interaction report of Drugs, other types of analysis and reports can be carried out on personal health records. One of the advantages of the present invention is that it allows a convenient method for constructing and maintaining complete and up-to-date health records, thereby allowing personal health records to be analyzed in a number of ways. The present invention provides numerous other features and advantages. For example, the network site can provide doctor's appointment reminders, prescription refills, or other events through e-mail reminders or text message reminders. In addition, the network site allows the user to select the option of sending information by fax to a health provider. For example, a user can fax a prescription to their pharmacy of choice. In addition, the user can fax their medical records received from one health service provider to another health service provider. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, health service records may include both medical records as well as dental records. In addition, health service records may include records of health services not only for humans, but also for pets. In this way, a family could manage their Health records for each family member, including one or more pets. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, other vital records are also stored at the network site. Examples of other types of vital records include wills, living wills, legal powers for health services, and related information. The present invention should not be limited to the specific description provided herein. The present invention contemplates numerous variations that could be appropriate in a particular context, environment or situation. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (46)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1. A method for providing a consumer with the ability to access and collect personal health records associated with the consumer, characterized in that it comprises: assigning an individual telephone number associated with the consumer for fax and voice communications from a health service provider; associate access information with the consumer for the consumer to use to access a secure network site; provide the consumer with a document to make the health service provider who exercises legal rights of the consumer have access to health records; the document requests the health service provider to send the health records to the telephone number; receive a communication by private fax that includes a personal health record associated with the consumer that the consumer has requested and given permission to the health service provider to send; convert private fax communications into an image file format store the health record encoded in the image file format; provide the consumer with secure access to the network site using the access information and providing an interface to the consumer health records on the website so that the consumer has access to the health records.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the legal rights are legal rights associated with HIPAA.
3. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the document is an adhesive adapted to be affixed to the health record.
4. 4. The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises providing the consumer with an emergency access card comprising access information and adapted for use by a third party to have access to the health record associated with the consumer in the event of a medical emergency associated with the consumer . The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the network site interface also contemplates the organization and annotation of health records by the consumer in separate file folders with functionality for the consumer to name the file folders and add file folders. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the medical record prevents from the set consisting of a patient report, a record of birth, a vaccination record, a medical history, a laboratory report, a test result, a prescription, a result or X-ray image, a scan and a result or electrocardiogram image. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises providing a means for receiving voice communications messages from the consumer health service provider and maintaining the private voice communications message. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises alerting the consumer of the voice communications message from the health service provider and providing the user with access information to access the voice communication message. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises alerting the consumer of a fax transmission from the health service provider. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the reminder is a text message. 11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the reminder is an electronic mail. 12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the reminder is a voice message. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises providing on the network site means to schedule a recipe refill on the calendar. 14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that it also comprises sending a reminder that refers to the refill of the recipe. 15. The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises providing on the network site means for scheduling an appointment with a health service provider on the calendar. 16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that it also comprises sending a reminder that refers to the appointment with the health service provider. 17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the reminder is a text message. 18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the reminder is an electronic mail. 19. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the reminder is a message of voice The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises receiving payment from the consumer to facilitate access to the health records associated with the consumer. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the network site provides means to facilitate the creation of wallet cards containing access information and stickers requesting health service providers to fax health records to free phone number 22. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the health records include prescriptions for drugs and comprises analyzing interactions between the drugs and reporting the interactions. 23. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the health records are dental records. 24. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the health records associated with the consumer are health records of a consumer's child. 25. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the health records associated with the consumer are health records of a pet of the consumer 26. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises providing a means to receive vital consumer documents and store vital documents. 27. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that the vital documents come from the set of a will, a living testament and a legal power for health services. 28. The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises means for protecting documents with at least one additional layer of password protection. 29. A kit to help a consumer exercise rights over health records associated with the consumer, have access to health records, maintain private health records and provide access to health records in case of emergency, characterized in that comprises: an access card comprising access information associated with the consumer that will be used to access a secure network site that provides access to consumer health records that will be used to transmit the access information to another in case of a medical emergency associated with the consumer; at least one sticker that exercises legal rights of the consumer over records of health services and which includes instructions to a health service provider to electronically send health records to a destination, and where health records sent to the destination are accessible on the secure network site. 30. The equipment in accordance with the claim 29, characterized in that the destination is a toll-free number to receive a communication by fax. 31. The equipment in accordance with the claim 30, characterized in that the toll-free number is dedicated individually to the consumer. 32. The equipment according to claim 29, characterized in that the access card is printed with the toll-free number. The equipment according to claim 29, characterized in that the destination is an email address associated with the consumer. 34. A method for providing a consumer with the ability to access and collect health records associated with the consumer through the use of a consumer account, characterized in that it comprises: assigning a destination address individually associated with the consumer's account for receive communications from at least one health service provider; associate access information with the consumer's account so that the consumer use it to access a secure network site; receive a communication from one of the at least one health service provider, the communication addressed to the destination address, the communication comprises a health record associated with the consumer that the consumer has requested and given permission to send to the health provider; store a health record representation; provide the consumer with secure access to the network site using the access information and provide on the network site an interface to consumer health records for the consumer to use. 35. The method of compliance with the claim 34, characterized in that the destination address is a telephone number. 36. The method of compliance with the claim 35, characterized in that the telephone number is a toll-free telephone number. 37. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the destination address is an e-mail address. 38. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the access information includes a first set of access information to provide a first level of security and at least a second set of access information to provide a level of security additional . 39. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that it further comprises receiving a record of consumer health services uploaded to the network site. 40. The method of compliance with the claim 34, characterized in that the health service record is a record of health services of a family member. 41. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the health service record is a record of a pet's health services. 42. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the health service record is a dental record. 43. The method according to the claim 34, characterized in that it also comprises receiving a vital document from the consumer and storing a representation of the vital document. 44. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that it also comprises providing the consumer with a document for the health service provider to exercise the legal rights of the consumer to have access to the health records, the document requests the service provider of health send the health records to the destination address. 45. The method according to claim 44, characterized in that the document includes an adhesive. 46. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the destination address is a telephone number adapted to accept communications by both fax and voice communications without the input of a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the consumer.