Medical offices are dealing with the daunting task of centralizing electronic medical records as set out in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA). It will take years for the U.S. healthcare industry to develop digital patient information to reach its goal of reducing medical errors and improving preventive care. Today, Town & Country, LLC launched an affordable and simple way for patients to manage their own health-related information, to facilitate routine doctor and hospital visits, and be better prepared for medical emergencies. Healthcare Portfolio, an electronic personal health records organizer, or PHR, is now available nationwide; www.hcportfolio.com.
New Bedford, MA (PRWEB) November 19, 2009 -- General practitioners, hospitals, specialists, other caregivers and pharmacies have each played a vital role in a patient’s medical history. Those records are disconnected and often scattered throughout various medical offices and facilities. Difficulties in having critical information during medical emergencies, diagnosis, treatment and preventive services have raised a red flag for the American healthcare industry. As the solution, ARRA calls for the development of centralized medical records for every American by 2015.
“Although the ARRA initiative is an important step in American healthcare, it is years away from becoming a reality due to the complexities involved," said Virginia Snyder, president of Town & Country. “Given the information disconnects and problems in today’s healthcare environment, it’s not surprising that healthcare professionals encourage their patients to maintain personal health records, regardless of their age and health condition.”
Ms. Snyder has a lifelong exposure to the healthcare industry and years of experience with home-centered care. Her extensive operations management experience and knowledge of various software programs and user training were instrumental in the design of the universally compatible format and the ease of use of the Portfolio, which requires no special user training. The Portfolio comes with an emergency Medical Alert flash drive. A handwritten version is also available for people who don’t use computers.
“HealthCare Portfolio was developed by people with firsthand experience, people who recognized the profound need for an effective tool to help healthcare providers make more informed decisions in providing care to their patients,” Snyder said. “It was essential that this tool be medically comprehensive, easy to use, and developed with an understanding of the values, experiences and needs of people on a personal level.”
Recommendations and suggestions from physicians, emergency personnel and other medical professionals contributed to the system design. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Snyder added.
Town & Country, LLC was originally founded in 2004, and specializes in personal service, organization and personal health management solutions. To learn more, visit www.tandcc.com.
Contact:
Verne Westgate, Business Development-Marketing
Town & Country, LLC, New Bedford, MA
978-857-5748
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