New York consumers will have an easier time of tracking their health thanks to a forthcoming patient portal.
It will be built by Mana Health, and will allow New York State residents to access their healthcare records online – securely.
It is being managed by the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC).
The patient portal will be in use starting in early 2014 for some parts of New York. Additional services will be added over time.
The content will include lab test results, lists of medications, radiology reports, and other information about procedures and medical conditions.
Patients will be able to say who can access the records, be it relatives or physicians.
“New Yorkers do everything else online. It’s imperative that they also be able to access their healthcare data online, whenever they need it. This is the most important information a person has about him or herself,” David Whitlinger, executive director of NYeC, said in a recent statement. “We are excited to be partnering with Mana Health to provide patients across the state with that access.”
“Our aim is to empower today's patient-consumer with an insightful and easy-to-use tool to familiarize themselves with their health data,” added Chris Bradley, CEO of Mana Health.
The patient portal comes as many states and the U.S. government are opening up health insurance exchanges to provide insurance options for U.S. residents.
In the case of New York State, last month the Department of Financial Services approved health insurance plan rates for 17 insurers seeking to offer coverage through New York’s Health Benefits Exchange. These included eight new entrants into the market that do not currently offer commercial health insurance plans.
In addition, healthcare providers and hospitals are increasing their use of electronic health records – so there is improved record-keeping on individual patients.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
