Your medical history now comes in a card
By Walter Ang
December 28, 2010
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Medical City now makes it easier for patients to access their medical information and history through its e-Partner Card, the Philippines' first individual electronic storage card for patients' personal health records.
The card was launched as part of the hospital's 43rd anniversary celebration. The hospital unveiled four major elements that supported its anniversary theme "Establishing the Pillars of Growth and Leadership."
Pillar one was "Building a National Network," which highlighted its 15 satellite clinics and two acquisitions, Great Saviour International Hospital in Iloilo and Mercedes Medical Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.
The e-Partner card was introduced at the unveiling of pillar two, "Promoting the Patient Partnership Philosophy," accompanied by the introduction of the hospital's second corporate website (asktmc.com) which will serve as a supplement to its first website (themedicalcity.com), as well as its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Pillar three was "Advancing in Product Innovation," which showcased the latest technology the hospital has acquired: a new catheterization laboratory and a robotic surgery system. Pillar four was "Creating a Global Brand," celebrating The Medical City's re-accreditation by Joint Commission International, a global healthcare accrediting organization.
Benefits
The card is basically a self-contained personal health record USB device. "You simply plug the e-Partner Card into a USB outlet located in most computers and the records are immediately available. With just a click of a mouse, the built-in software program opens and presents all the medical records in an easy-to-use and easy-to-read format," said Margaret A. Bengzon, Group Head of TMC's Strategic Services Group.
The e-Partner Card holds patient identification such as name, age, address, medication records and prescriptions, blood type, immunization records, and organ donor information.
It can also store medical records of procedures and exams that have been performed on the patient such as radiological imaging (like X-rays or MRI scans) and laboratory test results.
"If your medical condition requires detailed histories of multiple medications or just a running record of the latest dosages, your doctor can see what has been prescribed by other specialists that you are also seeing and avoid adverse drug reactions.," said Bengzon.
"This e-Partner Card also keeps your medical records handy and available for first responders and healthcare professionals in case of emergency or when you may be unable to communicate. However, patients have the option to secure the information with a password lock."
Accessibility
Upon every visit to TMC, patients with e-Partner Cards need only submit their cards to the service unit's staff to have their latest records uploaded. "The card also allows patients to enter their own additional information for customized control of their own health care," she said.
Since there is currently no single global system of storing digitized patient information and records, the stand-alone feature of the device is one if its key come-ons. It does not require additional software or any specialized readers, nor does it need internet access, and it can be accessed by any standard computer that has Microsoft Windows operating system.
Business or leisure travelers, OFWs and immigrants will appreciate the card's ability for automatic translation of records into various languages.
"With the e-Partner Card, every TMC patient can now be an even more engaged partner in the attainment of his health goals," said Bengzon. "This power to actively manage one's health information enables patients to communicate and collaborate more actively with their physicians, towards more efficient, effective and customized care."
Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20101228-311234/Your-medical-history-now-comes-in-a-card