Newsroom

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has introduced a new electronic personal health record, enabling its patients to access their medical information wherever and whenever they need it.

Hospital leaders believe the innovative system — including its use of readily available software and platforms — is the first of its kind to be launched at a major medical institution and the only such system which provides security, privacy and portability to patients from all walks of life.

Called myNYP.org, the personal health record uses Microsoft's HealthVault and Amalga technologies to offer patients the ability to select and store personal medical information generated during their doctor and hospital visits at NewYork-Presbyterian. MyNYP.org uses a "pull model" in which patients proactively opt to copy their medical data into their own personal health record and access that information using a secure username and password with any Web-enabled device.

Made available without charge, myNYP.org is now open to cardiology and cardiac surgery patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center as part of a Hospital-wide initiative. President Obama, other government leaders and several members of Congress have said electronic patient record systems are key to achieving significant advances in improved quality and efficiency in the nation's health care system.

"The myNYP.org personal health record represents a significant step in the journey to create a completely connected health care system, from hospital to community, with the patient at the center," says Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. "When patients can easily share their medical record with their physician or hospital, it reduces the need for excess paperwork and testing, which could mean lower costs, improved outcomes, reduction in medical errors and better care."

MyNYP.org offers the individual the ability to consolidate and organize an unprecedented amount of medical information — medications; surgery reports; hospital discharge instructions; laboratory, radiology and EKG results; immunization schedule and history; allergy information; doctor and insurance information; emergency contacts and more. The health information provided by myNYP.org is annotated with customized explanations to help patients understand their medical tests and procedures and give them additional information about normal and abnormal results.

"Increasingly patients are taking charge of their own health care. MyNYP.org gives them the tools to accomplish this — empowering them to effectively and efficiently manage all aspects of their health and wellness," says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "This technology not only gives patients access to their health information, but puts them in the driver's seat, with complete control to take their information with them, add to it, and share it with family, with other doctors and health care providers, and anyone they choose."

Patients can reference their actual, up-to-date health records, which are organized and stored through Microsoft's Amalga and HealthVault technologies and stored by the patient in a personal account following visits to their hospital, doctors and health care providers. In addition to managing their own health information, patients have the option to serve as family health managers by adding and tracking the health information of consenting family members, including a spouse, child, parent and dependents.

Patients who log on to myNYP.org are greeted with a video featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"Our medical records are increasingly complex. This is especially the case for those of us who have moved or changed jobs, and even more so for older patients and those with chronic illnesses. The need for a quick and complete picture of a patient's health is critically important, especially when a patient presents with an emergency like a heart attack when there isn't a moment to lose," says Dr. Oz. "MyNYP.org is not just about convenience, it's about improving care."

Patients will be able to coordinate doctors' appointments; develop a directory of physician contacts; manage their children's health records; comply with school and childcare-provider health record requirements; give custodial access to primary care physicians; and search for specialists.

"MyNYP.org truly brings health information technology into the 21st century," says Aurelia Boyer, chief information officer at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "Our goal is to connect patients and care providers, empowering everyone to make decisions and take action with more insight, intelligence and confidence."

Working with Microsoft, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital developed myNYP.org using Microsoft's Amalga UIS and HealthVault technologies. Microsoft Amalga aggregates vast amounts of clinical, administrative and financial data from disparate information systems at NewYork-Presbyterian and tailors that information for use by physicians, analysts, laboratory technicians, nurses and administrators. Microsoft's HealthVault is an open platform designed to put individuals in control of their personal health information.

"NewYork-Presbyterian and Microsoft share a vision for patient-centered innovation in care delivery," says Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of Microsoft Health Solutions Group. "The introduction of myNYP.org demonstrates that we can innovate today — using technology already in place — to deliver on many of the goals targeted by the new administration's stimulus spending. NewYork-Presbyterian has shown real leadership in delivering an innovative solution that empowers both physicians and patients by giving them instant access to critical information. This type of leadership and focus on using technology to drive specific outcomes is paramount to improving health around the world."

For more information, patients may call 866-NYP-NEWS.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,242 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including more than 230,000 visits to its emergency departments — more than any other area hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Allen Pavilion and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the largest and most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. It ranks sixth in U.S.News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Hospitals," ranks first on New York magazine's "Best Hospitals" survey, has the greatest number of physicians listed in New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue, and is included among Solucient's top 15 major teaching hospitals. The Hospital's mortality rates are among the lowest for heart attack and heart failure in the country, according to a 2007 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report card. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.