A Fully-Functional Electronic Medical Record Comes to Apple's iPhone, iPad and iTouch

Today, Epic Systems Corporation launched their free MyChart application (app) for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch which at our medical center. The app provides the following functionalities:

• Test Results: View test result values and standard ranges for each result.
• Messaging: View and reply to messages in the Inbox, and create new medical advice request messages.
• Appointments: View and confirm or cancel upcoming appointments, and view some After Visit Summary information for past appointments.
• Health Advisories: View preventive care procedures and their due dates.
• Health Summary: View medications, allergies, immunizations, and current health issues.
• Proxy Access: View all features listed above for family members.

This functionality permits patients access to portions of the actual electronic medical record used by their doctors in a mobile format. A license agreement must be entered into by the patient that permits the use of their iPhone's UDID (unique serial number ID) to be collected, transmitted, and stored on their medical center's designated server for troubleshooting and "audits." As such, user data will be shared with others within the scope of the licensure agreement, including third parties. (Interestingly, "Apple will have the right to enforce the terms of the Licnse against you as a third party beneficiary thereof.") Still, I suspect most will consider this a very small price to pay for timely access to one's health information.

The following providers offer this functionality so far: Baylor Clinic (TX), Buffalo Medical Group, PC, (NY), Dean Clinic (IL/WI), Dreyer Medical Clinic (IL), GHCMyChart (WI), Hawaii Pacific Health (HI), Loyola Medicine (IL,WI, IN), Mercy Health System (IL, WI), Aspirus (MI, WI), The Institute of Family Health (NY), NorthShore University HealthSystem (IL), Oregon Health and Science University (OR, WA), SSM Medical Groups (MI, IL), Sutter Health (CA), Weill Cornell (NY), Wildwood Family Clinic, (IL, WI).

Yep. The wave of the future.