Microsoft+HealthVault

=Microsoft HealthVault=



Description
Microsoft HealthVault is a Personal Health Record service created and run by Microsoft. It is a secured place for people to collect information, store them for future use, and share the information online. HealthVault is different from other PHR services, in that in addition to the standard functions built into the service, the framework is open to developers to help build apps to help with connectivity and functionality.

Microsoft HealthVault let people organize their family’s health information and they can keep their health records in one place. It would keep records of any health record like medications, lab results, conditions and illnesses, and many more. HealthVault let people have their health information handy for any emergencies. The information is accessible from PC, smartphone, or table device through the internet connection. Microsoft HealthVault is a way of making an accurate picture of a person’s health records. It allows the lab results, medication records, and the visit records from many labs, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics to be sent directly to a person’s HealthVault record. The HealthVault also helps in managing fitness goals by letting people track their weight, activity, and diet. Then it lets them make goals and see progress.



**Functions**

Basic Health Information
HealthVault gives users the abilities to input all of their basic health data as it is recorded, including age, weight, blood pressure, current medical conditions, current medications, and allergies.

**Health records for Families**
With the HealthVault, a user can keep track of not only himself or herself, but for the whole family. It lets you be prepared for school, sports team, and summer camps. The parents can simply get the medical record of their kids to their HealthVault account instead of asking the kid's school clinic to fax records like immunization records whenever it is needed.

Health Tracking
HealthVault also gives users the ability to track progress on health goals, such as weight loss, blood pressure reduction, cholesterol management.

Emergency Profile
HealthVault gives the option to print out a sheet with all emergency health information or a card with a website and a code that would give an emergency health professional the ability to pull up a full user profile.

Competition
In a heavily competitive market, many companies have started their own PHRs. In most software markets, Microsoft has managed to create a competitive platform. However, many other large companies have tried their own PHR system and failed, most notably Google. Google cancelled Google Health.

One major advantage which HealthVault holds is it's openness developers. A major problem with many PHR systems on the market is the lack of flexibility and portability of data stored. HealthVault helps get around this issue by offering developers a framework for creating connection options with other devices and services.

Security Concerns
While the emergency access card is very useful for the ease of access it provides medical professionals, one down side is that if the card is lost or stolen, whoever has possession of the card has access to view and information stored. To counter this issue, Microsoft has offered the option to disable the code on any card if it is lost.