Pros: Microsoft’s HealthVault allows users to organize, store, and maintain personal and family health information on a secure online website. HealthVault has connected with doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, insurance companies, and manufacturers of health devices to assist users in easily uploading information electronically to their accounts. The system is free of charge and completely secure. It also may now be accessed via mobile phone.

Cons: Customer support is only available through an online ticketing system through the Help menu. Users must navigate to the Help section to find the link. The application does have a Facebook page that keeps users updated on new information via free webinars, as well as a Twitter page informing followers of events.

The Bottomline: Microsoft HealthVault offers a free basic PHR solution. It integrates information from many medical monitoring devices. HealthVault partners with several other PHRs and is very secure. The PHR is relatively intuitive to use and offers options for basic or advanced information. Users maintain all health related information on HealthVault’s secure site.

Editor’s Rating:

Reviewed on September 22, 2011

Summary:
Microsoft’s HealthVault is an effective online personal health record management system that allows users to store health information online. Information may be imported from another service or may be entered manually into the application. By maintaining medically relevant information in one secure online site, users can be certain that they have up-to-date information available in any medical situation.

Features:
____________________________________________________________

Easy sign-in: Windows Live ID, OpenID, or Facebook allow users direct sign-in.

Health Information: With Microsoft’s HealthVault, users have the ability to store all health information in a central location rather than in various paper files. Aside from the usual features of adding, maintaining, editing, and sharing information, HealthVault categorizes information for the entire family. Categories include: Conditions, files, health history, measurements, medications, and personal profile. Some sections allow users to enter basic or advanced amounts of information.

Sharing: Users may authorize family members or other trusted people to view or edit information through the application. By providing an email address, users may choose the level of sharing and what types of information may be viewed or updated by others. Another form of sharing is to print information from the user’s record to bring to health appointments, personal trainers, or other professionals or family members.

Health Tools: HealthVault has a list of websites and apps that can be integrated with the information in the PHR. Examples of apps are Aetna PHR, Active PHR, Blue Button, and CardioSmart.

Device links: A big focus of HealthVault is linking to devices to assist users in tracking and monitoring ongoing medical issues. Blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, ECG recorders, and more may be able to link with HealthVault. The site provides a list of all devices and web apps that can be connected. For each device, the site walks the user through the process of downloading the necessary drivers needed to sync with HealthVault.

Health Solutions: This application helps users track prescriptions, manage chronic conditions, lose or maintain weight, get fit, manage blood pressure, and more.