Identifying a personal health record using a phone number

Abstract

A method for providing a user with the ability to access and collect records associated with the user in a secure and private manner includes associating access information with the user for the user to use to access a server storing files comprising records associated with the user in a computer readable storage medium, providing the user with a user interface on a computing device to remotely access the records stored on the server, receiving at the server the files comprising records associated with the user from a service provider associated with the user, receiving at the server a request from the user made through the user interface of the computing device for access to the files, wherein the access information is associated with the request, and sending the user a file containing the records associated with user from the server to the computing device in response to the request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying a personal health record using a phone number, wherein the step of identifying is performed by a computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the phone number is a 10 digit number. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising electronically sending the personal health record to the individual using the phone number. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the personal health record is stored on a computer readable storage medium. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising assigning the phone number to the individual. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising associating the phone number with the individual. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising electronic access to the personal health record by the individual. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronic access is provided through a web site associated with a web server. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising associating access information with the individual for the individual to use to access the personal health record. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the access information comprises a password. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending the personal health record as a fax to the phone number. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 identifying an individual associated with a personal health record using a phone number, wherein the step of identifying is performed by a computer;   associating a user account with the individual and the phone number;   associating access information with the user account, wherein the access information includes a password.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the phone number is a 10 digit number. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising electronically sending the personal health record to the individual using the phone number. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the personal health record is stored on a computer readable storage medium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising assigning the phone number to the individual. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising associating the phone number with the individual. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the user account is accessible through a web site associated with a web server. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending the personal health record as a fax to the phone number. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising identifying an individual associated with a personal health record using a phone number, wherein the step of identifying is performed by a computer.