How to Create a Health Record

A personal health record helps you keep track of all of your and your family's medical information. Creating a personal health record can save you time and sometimes even money because you will not have to retake routine medical tests, according to myPHR. Doctors maintain lots of charts, and often do not share the information about a patient with each other. By keeping track of your own medical health history you can receive better care.

Instructions

• 1

  First gather together all of your and your family's medical information, including any X-rays, lab reports, physician's note, prescriptions, immunization records and records from hospital visits. Scan all of that information onto your computer and store it in a file. Make another copy on a USB drive as backup, according to nyPHR.com.

• 2

  Ask your physician and health insurer which health record manager they prefer. Health record managers include MyPHR, WebMD, Google, Availity , myOptumHealth and MyMedicare.gov. Some insurers are partnered with the programs listed above while others have their own. For instance Aetna, CIgna and UnitedHealthcare all have electronic programs that allow you to upload all of the data you scanned for the health records. These programs are free.

• 3

  Be as thorough and truthful as you can in filling out the information. They will ask you for personal information such as your social security number. This information will be kept private by the companies. To fill out all of the forms will take around 30 minutes online.

• 4

  Let your doctor and insurance company know about your health record. Have them make copies for you every time you visit so you can keep your health record current. Update your health record on a regular basis.