HealthVault, created by Microsoft, is one of many tools you can use to store your personal health records (PHRs) online.  There are a number of things to consider when looking for a PHR tool.  Mainly, you should analyze the tool’s security, privacy, and functionality.

Security

As I said in a previous post about PHR tools, you should make certain that the service uses an SSL connection.  An SSL connection encrypts your data and makes it much harder for others to steal your information.  SSL connections are represented by bits.  The higher the number of bits the more secure your connection is.  The standard SSL connection is 128 bits.  HealthVault uses a 168 bit connection.

HealthVault also requires you to choose a strong password.  If you enter a password the service deems too easy to guess, it’ll ask you to choose another one. This extra layer of security is great and helps make it harder for hackers to access others’ accounts.

You have the ability to share documents with certain people or store them for your eyes only.  If you decide to share out documents, you simply send out an email invitation to a trusted medical provider, family member, or friend.  One downside is that you cannot share individual files.  You choose to either share all documents or none.

HealthVault is focused more on user-entered data rather than stored documents.  In other words, HealthVault is suited for people who are more interested in typing in their medical history, as opposed to uploading and storing records.  You are able to record things such as your allergies, cardiac profile, and exercise goals.  You are able to share these items on a case-by-case basis.

Privacy

One important thing you want to determine is whether or not the tool plans to use your information for commercial purposes.  HealthVault’s privacy statement says, “We do not use your health information for commercial purposes unless we ask and you clearly tell us we may.”

Although third parties are not required to follow HIPAA guidelines, it’d be nice if the service you are considering voluntarily follows them.  (MyEsafeDepositBox – provided with a Qvisory membership – does this.)  HealthVault’s privacy statement does not even mention HIPAA.

For further reading, take a look at this article from The New York Times about the concerns associated with storing your health records online with a service that does not follow HIPAA.

Functionality

HealthVault provides one method for putting your information online: uploading documents via your computer.  It is very easy to upload a document to your account; however, be aware that there is a maximum file size of 3.5 MB.  That should be plenty in most cases.

If you’d like the ability to fax your documents, you can add the service for $8.95 per year.  That will provide you with 100 inbound faxes.

Overall

HealthVault is a free solution for storing your PHRs online – unless you decide to add the ability to fax documents to your account.  While you are able to upload and store documents, HealthVault is geared more toward data you manually enter yourself.  If you’d like to add information such as your allergies, cardiac profile, and exercise goals – and do not mind typing in the information yourself – HealthVault may be the solution for you.

Personally, I’m most interested in simply uploading and storing my health, financial, and personal documents in a secure environment.  If I were to use HealthVault, I’d only use that part of the service.  However, I do not have a scanner, so getting my documents online would involve trips to Kinkos or paying extra for a fax number.

Do you use HealthVault?  If so, what do you like best about the service?