New Portable Medical Records Can Save Lives In An Emergency

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 06 Dec 2006 - 2:00 PDT

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A new computer application called ViRec(TM) uses portable storage technology called a flash drive to privately record vital medical information for emergency viewing by medical personnel. Additionally, the ViRec application optionally transfers medical records from the storage unit to a cell phone for emergency reference.

Vital Record Corporation announces a computer application named ViRec, which records medical history onto a thumb-sized storage device and onto a standard cell phone. As many as 98,000 people die each year due to medical errors. A study given in "The Journal of the American Medical Association" (5/2005) indicates the death rate has changed little. To help reduce medical errors, the ViRec portable medical records application provides direct access to a person's medical information, such as identification information, prescription and non-prescription medications, doctors and care givers, insurance carriers, and family history.

??When the storage device is plugged into a computer, the medical information is automatically displayed using the computer's installed Internet browser application. In an emergency, medical personnel have immediate access to the medical information simply by browsing the various pages containing the medical data. Alternatively, the medical history can be stored on a cell phone and subsequently displayed using simple key selection available on the phone.

??For ease of recording the medical information, web page format is used. The data is written to the portable storage device for viewing with a standard Internet browser. The option of including a digital photograph of the owner is provided in the Identification category of the medical data.

??The unique portable storage unit is a "plug and play" device. When it is plugged into a computer, the ViRec application automatically starts with a button selection for launching the Internet browser with the initial Identification page of the medical information. As with standard web page format, selections are made with buttons to select and view the various pages of medical data.

??With the "plug and play" feature, emergency medical personnel do not need special application training since a standard web browser is used for viewing the medical information.

??The small storage unit contains the ViRec application and controls, as well as all the medical information. Thus, all components of ViRec are self contained in the portable device.

??Although a web browser is used to record and view the medical information, no internet connection is required. The medical information is kept private and secure and not vulnerable to access on the public, untrusted Internet. Additionally, the medical data stored on the device is encrypted and cannot be read using any other application.

??Moreover, no external power is needed to maintain the contents of the storage unit. Because the unit is small, it can be carried, worn around the neck, or placed on a key chain.

??An added function of the ViRec application is the transmission of medical information from the storage unit to a standard cell phone. A temporary Internet connection is required to send the medical data in encrypted form to the Vital Record Corporation server before placement on the cell phone.

??The installed application manager software of the cell phone is used to retrieve the medical data from the company's server, including a special ViRec application for displaying the data. The medical data is automatically removed from the server once it has been successfully stored on the cell phone.

??To use this added function, the cell phone must have Internet access capability to retrieve the medical data. The cell phone must also support Java applications known as Midlets.

??For additional information on ViRec Emergency Medical Records, visit http://www.vitalRecord.net.