The office of the U.S. Surgeon General has announced a collaboration with Microsoft® HealthVault™ that will provide new features and expand access to My Family Health Portrait, a free Internet-based resource.

My Family Health Portrait, a collaborative initiative supported by agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), allows users to assemble their family health information without retaining their personal information. Privacy and security are top priorities for HHS, and stringent security measures are required of all third-party vendors to ensure that the user’s information is protected.

My Family Health Portrait enables consumers to easily record their family health history and integrate the information stored in their My Family Health Portrait profile into a personal HealthVault account. HealthVault is a personal health application platform that allows consumers to collect and store their health information online in a record that can be shared at their request with physicians, family members, pharmacists, and a variety of third-party health services. The goal of the initiative is to help consumers make more informed decisions around their current and future healthcare needs. In the coming months, My Family Health Portrait will expand its offering to other third-party health solutions, as well.

For access to My Family Health Portrait, visit https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/. For additional information about the Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative, visit http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/.

1. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [website]. News Release. Surgeon General with Microsoft HealthVault Expands Consumer Benefits for the My Family Health Portrait Offering. February 24, 2010. Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100224a.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm.