Personal health records, electronic health records and patient portals

PHRs are not the same as electronic health records (EHRs), also called electronic medical records. Healthcare professionals' offices, hospitals and health insurance companies keep electronic health records.

Electronic health records have some of the same details you put in a personal health record. This might include your date of birth, medicine list and medicine allergies. But EHRs have more information because healthcare professionals use them for visit notes, test results and more.

A personal health record that's tied to an EHR is called a patient portal. Sometimes you can add information to your patient portal, such as home blood pressure readings. If you can add to yours, you may not need to keep your own personal health record.