Who are the people of MyHealthArchive?
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, MyHealthArchive is a product of PatientCentral Technologies, L.L.C. PatientCentral Technologies is a privately held company lead by highly skilled professionals in medicine, nursing, information technology and law. MyHealthArchive offers a variety of technological products and services that are designed to improve access to information, communications between patients and health care providers, coordination of patient care, and improve patient safety. All of PatientCentral's technologies are patient-centric and adaptable to a variety of health care settings including homes, hospitals, physicians' offices, and emergency management.
What is MyHealthArchive?
MyHealthArchive is a revolutionary tool which gives patients the power to collect their own health information and then access it using a secured website, anytime, anywhere in the world.
Why was MyHealthArchive created?
MyHealthArchive was created because Dr. Davies saw in his practice that medical care is delayed, reduced in quality and sometimes less safe when full medical records are not available. Medical care has lower quality when patients are not at its center and are not actively participating. MyHealthArchive was designed to place the patient in control of his or her medical records. Putting the patient in control of his or her medical records strongly reduces disorganization and fragmentation that occurs when patients receive care and treatment at various locations or change health insurance plans. MyHealthArchive can improve access to patient's health history information and improve patient safety through better communication and coordination of medical care.
Why should I join?
Medical records tend to be spread between various hospitals, physicians' offices, clinics, and other locations, including the local health department and pharmacies. It is often difficult to remember the names of prior doctors, hospitals, medications and diagnoses. In an emergency or when seeking new treatment, it is difficult to gain access to or even remember this information. MyHealthArchive solves the ability to access medical history information while at the same time honoring privacy concerns.
What are the benefits of family subscriptions?
First, family subscriptions are offered at a substantial discount. Second, it is helpful to designate friends and family with either complete or limited access to your personal health archive because they can provide useful information to your physicians and health care providers in the event of an emergency and/or your inability to communicate your history yourself. Third, family subscriptions are a way to ensure that your family is always protected when away from home with the ability to have personal and professional access to medical history for routine medical care or emergencies.
How do I utilize a subscription to MyHealthArchive?
All you need is access to the Internet and we will guide you in compiling your medical history. For an annual (12 month) subscription fee or quarterly payments you will be able to access your personal medical information anywhere, anytime through a combination of a guided interview and information that you have uploaded, including labs, x-rays, and hospital or clinic visit records.
How can MyHealthArchive benefit me if I am not ill?
Even if you are not ill, MyHealthArchive is a very useful technology that can help you keep track of your health care information so that your visits to your physician are more effective and efficient. MyHealthArchive can help you record important measurements such as your cholesterol, weight, blood pressure, and other parameters which can indicate how well you are doing on a particular treatment plan. And because you never know when disaster may strike, MyHealthArchive can help you prepare for an unforeseen health event so that your physicians have rapid access to critical medical information which may be necessary to optimize your treatment.
How can MyHealthArchive benefit me if I am ill?
Whether you have acute or chronic illnesses, MyHealthArchive can benefit you by providing your physicians and health care providers with the most up-to-date information about your medical problems and treatments. Communicating as much information as possible to your physicians can help make a difference in the length of your hospitalization as well as your safety and can prevent omissions as well as redundancies in your care and treatment.
What does MyHealthArchive provide that I do not have today?
Today, most people do not have a centralized method of collecting their medical history and medical records. Most people do not have secure access to their medical records. Most people do not have someone else or some other entity performing these functions for them, either, either. MyHealthArchive provides you the means to compile your personal health information as completely as you can, securely stores what you have collected, and provides secure and timely access to you and your physicians over the Internet, at virtually anytime
What makes MyHealthArchive unique?
MyHealthArchive was conceived by a physician and built by a development team encompassing medicine, nursing, information technology, encryption science and law. The clinicians on the team have seen first-hand how important it is to have their patient's health information readily available in order to make the best possible diagnoses and treatment decisions. The structure of the website was designed to provide detailed guidelines for our subscribers so that they can be as thorough as possible in providing information about their current health and prior health history. Beyond this, MyHealthArchive provides flexibility, in terms of the amount and type of medical information that can be included in a subscribers health archive; when and where information can be accessed; and a subscriber may elect determine what information should be released and to whom.
What if I don't have my Subscriber ID card with me and I have to go to the emergency room?
MyHealthArchive cannot release information based on just a name, because two people might have the same name and we need to ensure that the request is a legitimate request authorized by you, the subscriber. Therefore, we have to have the user name and password from your identification card. We are developing a variety of alternative identification tools, such as neck tags and bracelets so that you could be identified if you were in a disaster. We will soon provide the service of downloading your history onto a CD that you can also keep with your personal effects if you must be separated from the Internet or your identification card. If you are planning to travel or if you see that you are going to be caught in a disaster situation, we suggest that you use the perforation in your identification card to attach the card to your body so that it will not be easily lost.
How does MyHealthArchive comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements?
MyHealthArchive's web-based technology provides protected and HIPAA compliant access to personal health information virtually anywhere in the world that a computer can connect to the Internet. MyHealthArchive is compliant with federal regulations, such as HIPAA because granting access to health information is voluntary and consensual. Access by health care providers is only shared for purposes of treatment, coordination of care, patient identification, family location and notification.
What measures have been taken to protect my security and privacy?
Your information is securely encrypted using our CryptoEngine. This CryptoEngine utilizes the same encryption that is used for top secret communications within the United States Government, including the Department of Defense. MyHealthArchive uses AES-256 Bit encryption, which in mathematical terms is the level of security of an online bank, SQUARED. This means the level of security of MyHealthArchive uses far exceeds the security of a typical online bank. For more information visit "How It Works"
The Help functions located in the website are for questions about navigation, sign up and so forth. If you have questions about the clinical content you want to put into your Archive, you may want to have a family member or friend assist you. We are developing a service called MyHealthArchive Personal Assistants which will be people available over the phone to assist you in accumulating your medical records.
How do I prioritize the medical records that I upload to my personal health archive?
You are free to upload every medical document you can find about yourself. Alternatively you may take the strategy of uploading summaries, letters, and reports that are more concise yet give contact information like the physician's or hospital's name. It is up to you to decide your preference. MyHealthArchive is most useful if it is used, so don't set out to do an excessively huge task if you are going to give up and never use it. Know yourself, and upload what you can manage, and over time complete your Archive as you can. Your documents may include operative reports, history and physicals, progress notes or consultation notes showing documentation of how a diagnosis was formulated and what treatment plan was recommended. Also, you may want to include laboratory studies or x-ray reports that highlight the important features of your medical illness or progress.
How do I control access to my health archive for family and friends?
Each member of your family and friends that you authorize to access your Archive will receive a separate Family USERNAME and Family PASSWORD. As a subscriber, you will be able to determine which part of your Archive your authorized family and friends can access.
How do I get help if I am having site navigation or questions about what information to put into my personal health archive?
We recognize that some of our subscribers prefer to resolve their questions by speaking with someone on the telephone. Our Help Desk staff has been trained to provide assistance with website navigation and will refer any technical questions to our trained healthcare professionals or technical staff who will follow-up with you to solve your concerns. We will make an effort to resolve subscriber's questions within 24-48 hours of request.
Does MyHealthArchive provide any medical advice?
The services we provide at MyHealthArchive do not include medical advice. We encourage you to seek the counsel of your physician to resolve a medical problem. Call 911 if you have an emergency.
Can insurance companies get access to my personal health information through MyHealthArchive?
You can choose to release or not release your personal health information to your insurance company. It's entirely up to you.
What about international locations?
Your information is stored in redundant secure sites within the United States. All MyHealthArchive staff are United States citizens or residents. The location within the United States confers protections for your information. These protections control the storage and release of your information no matter where in the world you are when you are accessing your Archive.
What about people of other countries or other languages?
All people of all countries are welcome to use MyHealthArchive. At present English is the only language used on the website pages. You may store your information in any language you desire.
If my doctor accesses my records, how will you verify I have authorized that to happen?
Anyone who is requesting access to your personal archive must be able to provide both a username and password that you have authorized. You give your physician a username and password. You may change usernames and passwords as often as you like to control how long physicians or others can access your records. In emergency circumstances, your physician will be able to access your records by obtaining this information on your subscriber ID card.
Is MyHealthArchive linked to insurance companies?
MyHealthArchive does not share personal health history information with insurance companies unless the subscriber authorizes an insurance company to access ones' own archive, or if we are required by a subpoena to do so.
How can MyHealthArchive be used for Advance Directives?
Within MyHealthArchive, each subscriber may choose to upload their advance directive so that this may be available to physicians and family members in the event that end-of-life decision-making becomes necessary and your wishes can be honored if you become unable to participate in the decision-making process.
Does MyHealthArchive contain some forms that I can use document my advance directives?
Rules for living wills vary by state, in terms of both the required content and witnesses for living wills. You might consider reviewing the U.S. Living Will Registry at http://www.uslivingwillregistry.com/forms.shtm or consulting a physician, attorney, or a hospital.
Can I upload any information that I feel is important to have in my archive?
Yes! Your archive should serve as a repository of important information that you wish to have available so that you can access it anywhere, anytime, and when you are away from home. In fact, MyHealthArchive provides you the means to organize your medical records so that you are able to keep track your health from birth onwards. You could also choose to upload non medical documents like certificates, awards, lists, your will, agreements, contracts and so forth.
A really wise thing to upload is a picture of you. This could be for identification, for tracking serial changes, or for sentimental reasons.
Can I ask my doctors to upload medical records, labs, and x-ray or other imaging into my archive?
Absolutely! With your authorization, your physicians and other healthcare providers may upload medical records, labs and images into your archive when you provide your username and password to them so that they may access your archive. There are many advantages to uploading actual copies of medical records and digital images since these may provide helpful information about your health, especially if you are away from routine care that you receive near home.
How often should I update MyHistory?
Your health history should be updated as frequently as there are changes in your health, visits to physicians or hospitals, changes in physicians, starting or stopping medications or medications you are taking or treatments, or when you remember something important.
It is to your benefit to document your most accurate and up-to-date health history into your archive, since physicians and health care providers will utilize the information in your archive to help make decisions about your medical care, especially if you become unable to communicate in your treatment plan. This is your chance to really contribute to your health care.
What's in the Subscription?
The subscriber has access to a cadre of tools to document their health history, including documentation of basic demographics such as the individual's name, address, phone, physicians and family members to contact in the event of an emergency. Additionally, subscribers have access to tools to record important health information including critical major medical problems, medications, allergies, advance directives, calendaring of important appointments, and documentation of preventive health maintenance such as recording of blood pressures, heart rate, blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels, and weight. New tools and features are in development and may be viewed in the Products section under "New and Coming."
How do I Upload files?
Subscriber's medical records can be scanned by the subscriber and then uploaded into a subscriber's Archive. To upload copies of medical records, please refer the subscriber to the special section called, "Uploading Appendices" which will guide the subscriber through the process of uploading scanned copies of health records from the subscriber's personal computer into a subscriber's personal Archive.
How soon can I access my private Archive on the MyHealthArchive website?
Upon payment, information in an individual subscriber's account will be immediately available to the subscriber. About two weeks after subscription, each subscriber will be mailed personal identification cards with their user ID and protected password which must be scratched off to reveal the password. Additionally, if the subscriber has requested identification cards for authorized family or friends, these will be sent by MyHealthArchive staff directly to the subscriber.
What about the safety and security of User ID and Password?
Security is the responsibility of the subscriber as well as MyHealthArchive. The subscriber is responsible for maintaining the safekeeping and security of personal and authorized ID cards and passwords. It is recommended that subscribers document all USERNAMEs and PASSWORDs and keep them in a safe place.
Nearing expiration or expired subscriptions?
As a subscription is nearing its expiration date, each subscriber will automatically be sent an e-mail within 30 days prior to the date of expiration as a reminder to renew the MyHealthArchive subscription.
On the day that a subscription expires, the subscriber will be provided a 30 day grace period during which time the subscription will remain active. Once this 30 day period lapses, there will be no exceptions to granting access to a personal Archive unless the subscription is renewed.
Following this 30 day grace period, the subscription will expire and the subscriber will have to renew the subscription before being able to access the personal Archive. When the subscription is renewed, the information that has previously been documented in the subscriber's Archive will again be made available to the subscriber using the subscriber's previous USERNAMEs and PASSWORDs.
What if I lose my Subscriber Identification Card?
It is the responsibility of each subscriber to maintain privacy and security of the USERNAME and PASSWORD. We strongly encourage subscribers to keep their USERNAME and PASSWORD in a safe place.
If, however, a subscriber reports that the identification card is lost it may be replaced at a nominal fee. If the subscription has lapsed, there will be a grace period of thirty (30) days where the subscriber's information will continue to be made available to the subscriber. However, if the account remains in arrears for more 30 days, the subscriber's information will be archived and not be available to the subscriber until either the account is brought current in payment or the expiration date on inactive accounts is reached.
If the subscriber loses his identification card, the subscriber is responsible for reporting the loss. When a lost card is reported, contact us at help@myhealtharchive.com. We will contact the subscriber within 24-48 hours of notification and provide a new USERNAME and PASSWORD so that the subscriber may again have access to the personal health information Archive. We will then provide a replacement card within 2 weeks of the change.
What if I forget my User ID name and password?
Subscribers are notified that they are responsible for maintaining the security of their personal health information and not to forget or lose their USERNAMEs and PASSWORDs. We recognize, however, some people will lose their USERNAMEs or PASSWORDs. You the subscriber should to contact us by e-mail at help@myhealtharchive.com and we will take steps to try to assist in verifying the subscriber’s identity. If we can be sure we can securely confirm the subscriber's identity we may be able to re-establish the subscriber to their Archive. However, if the subscriber cannot answer the security questions to verify his or her identify, MyHealthArchive will not be able to restore access to the Archive and the subscriber will need to start a new subscription, including re-entering the medical information.
Can I reset my subscriber passwords?
If there has been a breach in the privacy and security of a subscriber's password, the subscriber should notify us immediately at help@myhealtharchive.com and go online to reset the USERNAME and PASSWORD themselves.
Is MyHealthArchive compliant Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?
MyHealthArchive's web-based technology provides protected and HIPAA complaint access to health information virtually anywhere in the world a computer can connect to the Internet. MyHealthArchive is compliant with federal regulations, including HIPAA because the release of a subscriber's health information is voluntary and consensual. In accordance with HIPAA regulations, subscribers may preauthorize specific information that may be released under emergency circumstances by health care providers for purposes of treatment, coordination of care, patient identification, family reunification, .
What measures have been taken to protect the security and privacy of my information?
All employees and contracted agents of PatientCentral Technologies, LLC must comply with the security and privacy requirements of MyHealthArchive and HIPAA Standards.
Subscriber information is securely encrypted using our CryptoEngine. This CryptoEngine utilizes the same encryption that is used for top secret communications within the United States Government, including the Department of Defense. MyHealthArchive uses AES-256 Bit encryption, which in mathematical terms is much more powerful than the level of security of an online bank. For more information visit MyHealthArchive section, "How It Works."
In the event that a subscriber requests assistance in filling in health history information uploading forms or medical records, we use a security feature which requires the subscriber to be logged in and to authorize one of our staff to view the subscriber's records along with the subscriber. Only MyHealthArchive's administrative staff or designated MyHealthArchive Personal Assistants are authorized to enter into a subscriber's archive unless these conditions are met.
If a subscriber requests assistance with compiling information within a personal Archive, please refer the request to help@myhealtharchive.com Under no circumstances are Help Desk personnel or other unauthorized individuals allowed to discuss clinical matters with subscribers, accept USERNAMEs or PASSWORDs, or enter the private archive of a subscriber. If a subscriber requests you to assist them with their archive, please decline politely and refer them to help@myhealtharchive.com
What happens if I suspect a breach in the security of my information?
Any breaches in privacy and confidentiality of personal demographic information, personal financial information, or protected health care information must be reported to the CEO of PatientCentral Technologies immediately via help@myhealtharchive.com , and must include full contact information so that we may speak with the person with knowledge of the breach directly.
If it is determined that an agent of PatientCentral Technologies, LLC has not complied with PatientCentral's security and privacy requirements and/or has violated HIPAA Standards, remedial action should be determined by that person's employer.
What does the HelpDesk offer?
The HelpDesk is intended to provide a measure of support for MyHealthArchive subscribers that prefer to speak to a person when they have a questions, concerns or comments. We do not expect that the HelpDesk staff will be able to answer questions beyond the general information provided on the website and anticipate the primary questions that will be asked will be related to website navigation or general information regarding subscriptions to MyHealthArchive or information that can be found in the FAQ section of the website.
HelpDesk staff are not authorized to have access into the non-public or personal side of a subscriber's website. If a subscriber requests to provide access to you, please decline and refer the subscriber to help@myhealtharchive.com or our toll-free line at 1-888-788-8873.
Please advise the subscriber that we will make every attempt to respond to the subscriber's concerns within 24-48 hours of the request.
The following are circumstances where a subscriber should send inquiries or comments to help@myhealtharchive.com or our toll-free line at 1-888-788-8873.
- Compliments/feedback
- Complaints/disputes
- Lost User ID card
- Requests for Password resets
- Questions about content of a subscriber's personal Archive
- Website navigation problems that you cannot resolve beyond basic answers
- Subscription problems
