A Personal Health Record (PHR) is a set of internet-based tools that allow individuals to
create, store and coordinate their lifelong health information in one place making it available
to relevant parties. It typically contains the individual’s demographic information, medical care
providers’ details, health summary, family history, list of past and current illnesses, symptoms,
allergies, medication and so forth. A PHR introduces many advantages as far as improving
the health status of people. These include better doctor-patient relationships, improved health
knowledge, better monitoring of chronic illnesses and many others. The South African health
system is in need of a more preventative approach to healthcare as opposed to its current
system that is considered as a highly curative. South Africa’s planned National Health
Insurance (NHI) aims at achieving this. The South African Department of Health also aims at
improving access to quality health care, increasing patients’ participation and the dignity
afforded to them, reducing underlying causes of illnesses, injury, and disability, to mention a
few. A PHR can prove useful to achieve these health goals and more in South Africa.