personal digital assistant (PDA)

Palm-size or handheld computer used for keeping a calendar, maintaining an address book, transmitting electronic mail (e-mail), word processing, and spreadsheet functions. In health care settings, this equipment is used for prescription writing, digital voice dictation or recognition for note taking, and access to patients’ database.

personal health record (PHR)Life

long resource of health data maintained and owned by the individual, which may be used for collecting, tracking, and sharing important, up-to-date information. Individuals may need it to make better health care decisions and improve quality of care. A PHR may be paper based, electronically based, or web based. An electronically based PHR must conform to nationally recognized interoperability standards.

Personal physician

In workers’ compensation, a doctor of medicine or a doctor of osteopathy who, before a work injury, has directed medical treatment to an employee and keeps the employee’s medical records and medical history. This can be a corporation, partnership, or association of physicians.