Ease of use. iHealthRecord is extremely user-friendly. It offers forms, checklists, and prompts to help you complete all your historical information, including allergies, immunizations, procedures, habits and behaviors, family history, and more.

Content. This Web site offers an abundance of content and allows you to choose topics you would like to receive articles on, such as weight loss, exercise, antibiotics, and blood pressure. Then you will receive periodic e-mails with links to articles on the topics you have selected.

Special features. These include the ability to search for your physician to see if he or she is using iHealthRecord or to find one that is. It also gives you the ability to create a wallet card that you can print out and carry with you. It provides basic information that could be helpful in an emergency.

Misc. iHealthRecord was created by Medem, Inc., which was founded in 1999 by the American Medical Association and several national medical specialty societies. Medem’s mission is to provide secure, online communications services for use by healthcare providers and patients. It claims that iHealthRecord was the “first secure, interactive online personal health record available for every American.” According to Medem, 100,000 physician practices now use iHealthRecord, and “thousands of Americans have built an iHealthRecord for themselves or family members.”