Patent ID: 8195479

Claim:
A method of recording, updating, and accessing a person's medical history over time, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a portable, hand carried nonvolatile memory device comprising machine-readable memory wherein the device further contains software comprising machine-executable instructions constituting a program executable by an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device and using the software contained on the device, the method comprising the steps of, (i) storing medical records in a secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device, (ii) updating the medical records in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device, and (iii) providing access to the medical records in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device; and (b) maintaining a person's medical history in the device over time by, (i) storing a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a), (ii) updating a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a), and (iii) accessing medical information contained in the secure database via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a); (c) wherein said steps (b) (i), (b) (ii), and (b) (iii) are performed using one or more electronic devices each having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a).