Pros: VitalKey is a PHR tool that is completely portable. You can bring it anywhere you go and it will be ready for you or any physician that needs to access it. Hence, in emergency situations when you are physically unable to provide crucial information about your medical history, your VitalKey USB will do the talking for you. Health providers can easily access your data through a web browser, yet an Internet connection is not required. In terms of confidentiality of your personal information, you can specify which information you don’t want to be publicly viewed. Also, if you lose your VitalKey, you’d simply have to notify the company right away via phone or email. Should anyone try to view your information on an Internet-enabled computer, all of the data will be automatically erased so your privacy protection is guaranteed. Also, the company keeps a backup of all data so you don’t need to worry in case of loss of the flashdrive. Furthermore, updating of information is a breeze. You or your doctor simply has to plug in the flashdrive into an Internet-enabled computer and click “Start.”

Cons: VitalKey’s subscription plans range from $107.40 to $359.40 annually, depending on the type of plan. The rates are tiered, meaning the price is dependent on the age of the oldest member enrolled in it. The age ranges are as follows: 21-44, 45-64, 65-74, and 75+.

The Bottomline: VitalKey provides its clients with full service, meaning users don’t have to enter or edit any data. They can leave this task up to the company’s representatives. Thus, the subscription plans are costly. Before signing up, customers should first study the pricing plans since rates increase sharply based on the enrolled users’ age. Furthermore, some customers won’t be comfortable with the thought of a third-party having access to their medical information.

Editor’s Rating:

Reviewed on October 21, 2011

Summary:
VitalKey is a portable PHR system wherein all of your records are stored in a USB flashdrive. With the user’s permission, one of the company’s medical specialists will speak with you and gather crucial data that only you can provide like insurance information and emergency and physician contact details. With the user’s consent, the company will then proceed to contact physicians to obtain and organize all medical records.



Features:
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Data Collection Made Easy
With the user’s consent, representatives from VitalKey are the ones who contact physicians in order to obtain medical records. These trained employees then organize and store the data. From time to time, representatives call users in order to double-check if all records are accurate and updated.



Hassle-Free Access
Users don’t need to have an Internet connection in order to access the data stored on the device. As such, a user can use the USB flashdrive in all healthcare agencies or medical offices that have a working computer.

Accuracy of Information
What are contained in a VitalKey USB flashdrive are medical records gathered by the company’s staff. Since these are doctors’ notes and documentation, they give a more accurate picture of your health compared to a medical diary, which is merely a patient’s own interpretation of his/her health history.