Method and system for generating personal/individual health records

1. A method for selectively restricting access to a personal/individual health record, said method comprising a computer performing the steps:

(a) making a personal health record (“PHR”) system with a personal/individual health record of a patient accessible at least to said patient and a health care provider of said patient via the Internet, wherein the personal/individual health record includes a plurality of entries that are associated with at least one universal health care concept code;

(b) inserting to the PHR system an entry into said personal/individual health record based on input received by the personal health record system from said patient via the Internet;

(c) inserting to the PHR system an entry into said personal/individual health record based on input received by the personal health record system from said health care provider via the Internet;

(d) associating at the PHR system an access list with each user capable of accessing said personal/individual health record of said patient, wherein said access list categorizes said personal/individual health record into a restricted set of entries and an accessible set of entries based on the universal health care concept codes associated with entries in said personal/individual health record;

(e) denying access at the PHR system to a user requesting an entry in the personal/individual health record if the requested entry is in the restricted set of entries;

(f) allowing access at the PHR system to a user requesting an entry in the personal/individual health record if the requested entry is in the accessible set of entries; and

(g) adjusting access rights at the PHR system in said access list based on input received by the personal health record system from said patient via the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a predetermined list of possible restricted areas to said patient by the personal health record system via the Internet and creating at least one access list responsive to selections by said patient of said predetermined list of possible restricted areas.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising overriding denial of access to said requested entry based on a positive identification by the personal health record system of said user as a health care provider and a reason received by the personal health record system from said user for accessing said data element, without receiving authorization from a user authorized to access said entry, and auditing actions of said user by the personal health record system with respect to said requested entry.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request from said patient via the Internet for a data element in said personal/individual health record;

determining whether said data element has been released for patient viewing; and

if said data element has not been released for patient viewing, denying said request from said patient.

5. A method for selectively restricting access to a personal/individual health record, said method comprising a computer performing the steps:

(a) enrolling a patient in a health care plan of a payor, wherein the patient undergoes encounters with a plurality of health care providers regarding a health related issue of the patient, wherein the health care providers request payment for at least a portion of the cost for the encounters from the payor, wherein the health care providers submit health related information of the patient to the payor to support the cost of the encounters with the patient;

(b) initially establishing a communication link between a personal health record (“PHR”) system and the payor, wherein there is no communication between PHR system and the health care providers and between the PHR system and the patient;

(c) receiving to the PHR system server payor claims data regarding the patient from payor via the communication link;

(d) analyzing at the PHR system server said payor claims data to determine which portion of said payor claims data is encounter data comprising at least one of a diagnosis, a treatment, a medication, and a procedure of said patient;

(e) translating said encounter data in the PHR system server into one or more universal health care concept codes;

(f) creating in the PHR system server a personal/individual health record of the patient by storing one or more entries into the personal/individual health record based on said encounter data and said universal health care concept codes, wherein the health care providers and the patient are not capable of establishing a communication link with the PHR system until completion of steps (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f);

(g) presenting from the PHR system server a webpage to said patient with a predetermined list of possible restricted areas for said personal/individual health record via the Internet;

(h) creating at the PHR system server at least one access list responsive to selections made by said patient from said predetermined list of possible restricted areas;

(i) associating at the PHR system server said access list with at least one user capable of accessing the personal/individual health record of the patient, wherein said access list categorizes said personal/individual health record into a restricted set of entries and an accessible set of entries based on universal health care concept codes associated with entries in said personal/individual health record; denying access at the PHR system server to a user requesting an entry in the personal/individual health record if the requested entry is in the restricted set of entries;

allowing access at the PHR system server to a user requesting an entry in the personal/individual health record if the requested entry is in the accessible set of entries.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined list of possible restricted areas is at least one of reproductive health, genetic testing, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, AIDS, contraceptive issues, abuse, neglect, and sexual assault.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of preventing a user from requesting at least one entry in said restricted set of entries so that a user cannot request the data element.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user is prevented from requesting the entry by preventing information relating to the entry from being displayed so that the user does not realize that a restriction is in place.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said default access list is based on at least one of relationship, gender, age and location of said patient.