Portable Medical Records – Revisiting An Old Idea

Here’s an interesting article from the E-Health Insider, titled “Carry your medical records on a USB drive” reporting about the Medinfo Chip. Basically, it’s a copy of your medical record available on a USB key that you can make available to your physician. A generic version of your medical record is available for emergency situations.

Okay, so the idea of having a personal copy of the your record to carry around with you isn’t a new. Using a USB key is pretty slick because almost every PC in the world can access it. But, there is still a concern over loss of the data because we’re dealing with a physical copy. I can see how the developer is trying to target those who travel, have chronic illnesses, and possibly those caring for others. But, for the rest of the patient population, is this such a good thing?

Balancing the issue of password protecting confidentiality with the need to balance making the data accessible (during emergencies or with different systems) is one that isn’t settled in my mind. I’m not sure what the solution is, but I have to give credit for this product because it’s trying to do something.