What’s the easiest, lightest, most important item you forget to (pack) and bring with you when traveling? Popular travel app options range from GPS features, mapping, virtual photos, translators, gas finders, etc. Yet, most travelers forget to prepare for a medical emergency.

Ask your doctor or medical practice if they offer an online patient portal service, or research for a free HIPAA Certified app that is a “Portable Health Record (PHR)”. Designed for mobile access for travelers, it should also offer patients access to their recorded conversations and secure texts with their doctors. A PHR allows you to travel with your health records stored securely on your phone simply by uploading all medical information and records.

Examples of Portable Health Record (PHR) apps:

FollowMyHealth®; Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc

Aetna Health; Aetna Inc

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC344574/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4832132/;