MedeFile medical records system works with iPhone

MedeFile International last week announced that its users can now access their personal medical records using the iPhone.  MedeFile specializes in Electronic Medical Record (EMR) management.

MedeFile offers subscription-based access to your own medical records.  Essentially they collect medical records from you and create a comprehensive record that can be viewed, assummingly, by disparate health care providers at multiple locations.  In addition to providing secure access to your records over the Internet or iPhone – a USB thumbdrive is available that contains the information as well.

It is an interesting concept, particularly if patients travel or are referred to other physicians for care.  Realistically, you still need to request your records, scan them and provide someone access to your thumb drive or iPhone to view.  Is your physician really going to be able get the correct information easily on your phone?  Presumably everything you send to be scanned and recorded would be available in an easy to read format but we are still talking about converting paper records into digital forms and transfer of data rather than integration and interface of data between disparate EMRs, particularly within health care organizations with physician office EMRs and hospital EMRs where the data contained from the office file may be immediately more critical without the necessary time to request them, send them, scan and record onto your thumbdrive or access via phone.