FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to medical records and data bases that store medical record information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Healthcare is a key element of any modern society. Over the years, it has brought people the benefit of the latest technological breakthroughs that are safeguarded by well-established regulatory process. The practice of medical practitioners has also evolved into highly specialized fields and subfields. Medical practitioners previously kept medical records and medical charts of their patients. Patients often do not understand their own medical records or medical charts. This may be partly due to the complex terminology used in the medical profession. This may also be due in part due to the fact the patient did not keep and maintain his or her own medical record.

Patients over the years often change the medical practitioners that they see. Often the medical records and medical charts kept by medical practitioners are not transferred from one doctor to the next as the patient ages and/or sees and consults with other doctors. Patients may not fully recall all of their prior medical procedures to explain to their next doctor the prior procedures they may have undergone. Accordingly, the next doctor a patient consults often does not know the prior procedures that a prior doctor performed on a patient.

Prior medical history may be important to diagnose a future ailment of a patient and make better decisions on health care. Prior medical history of related family members may be helpful to diagnose a future ailment of a patient. When parents and grandparents pass away, their medical history is often lost and unavailable to living relatives. Memory of ailments that a parent or grandparent may have had often fades over time.

It is desirable to improve upon medical record keeping of patients and to help them to better understand and improve their health.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the invention are best summarized by the claims below. Insofar as a summary is required, one embodiment of the invention can be described as methods, systems, and apparatus including a medical record data base for personal medical record keeping.

This summary is provided to efficiently present the general concept of the invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims.

