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Two Million People Using Kaiser Permanente's Personal Health Record

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 April 2008, 12:00 CDT

OAKLAND, Calif., April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente today announced that more than 2 million members are actively using the personal health record My health manager, a number that shows that consumers find Kaiser Permanente's personal health record an effective way to manage their care.

While many PHRs in the market are finding it difficult to attract users, Kaiser Permanente has long offered its members access to key features in managing their health online at kp.org. My health manager provides critical time-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records. With secure e-mail messaging, members can also communicate with their doctors at anytime, from anywhere. Each month, more than 300,000 secure e-mail messages are sent to Kaiser Permanente doctors and clinicians, and more than 1 million lab test results are viewed online, making them two of the more popular features on My health manager.

Kaiser Permanente has long been an industry leader in providing online health services. Since initially launching PHR features on kp.org in 2005, registration and usage rates have steadily increased. Members can gain access to My health manager through single-visit activation, which allows them to register and activate their kp.org account in one online visit by successfully answering a series of self-identifying questions. Once activated, members gain immediate access to the features and benefits of My health manager.

"My health manager was our answer to the rapidly changing landscape of health care services," said Anna-Lisa Silvestre, vice president for online services. "Consumers are asking for ways to manage their health online, just as they do their finances and communication."

A key differentiating feature of My health manager is that it is directly connected to Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(TM), one of the most robust and sophisticated electronic health records anywhere. By providing consumers with access to the same clinical record their doctors see and unique tools to interact with their providers and health plan, My health manager goes well beyond the standard PHRs populated solely by claims data.

"My health manager is strengthening the doctor-patient relationship by allowing them to more frequently communicate with one another and do so through multiple channels," said Silvestre. "Despite the fact that it involves sitting behind a computer, consumers feel like their providers are more available to them than ever before."

My health manager is a free service available to all Kaiser Permanente members. Members can visit kp.org/register to sign up to activate and access their personal health records.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 159,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and 13,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the KP News Center at: http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter.

Kaiser Permanente

CONTACT: Ravi Poorsina of Kaiser Permanente, +1-510-421-0557,ravi.x.poorsina@kp.org

Web site: http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter

Source: PRNewswire

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