CommonHealth Partners with 385+ Leading Healthcare Providers, including Mass General Brigham, to Further Empower Patients with Secure, Digital Access to Their Personal Health Records

Patients of Mass General Brigham, ChristianaCare, UCSD and more can now access, store and manage their own personal health information via the free Android™ app

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Commons Project Foundation announced today that patients of Mass General Brigham, ChristianaCare, the University of California at San Diego and more can now access their personal health records via the CommonHealth app for Android™, enabling the individuals to securely gather, manage and use their health data however they wish.

CommonHealth, which is free and available for download on the Google Play Store, was developed by The Commons Project Foundation in collaboration with UCSF, Cornell Tech and Sage Bionetworks to give people more control over their personal health data. The app allows users to gather their personal health records from various providers, store the information securely in the app, and own the decision-making around when and with whom the data gets shared. With the additional partners announced today, more than 385 health systems are now connected and compatible with the app.

“The last 18 months have further highlighted the desire for individuals to play a greater role in their healthcare journey by having digital control of their personal health information in one centralized, secure place,” said JP Pollak, co-founder and chief architect at The Commons Project. “With CommonHealth, we’re empowering individuals with the data security and technology needed to use their health data in the ways they need and want, whether it’s sharing the information with a new telehealth provider, or allowing another trusted third-party access.”

The app leverages data interoperability standards, including HL7 FHIR, to offer functionality similar to Apple Health, ensuring that individuals using Android™ devices have the same opportunity as iPhone users to digitally gather, store and share their personal health information as they see fit. Prior to the launch of CommonHealth, there were limited solutions for Android users, a segment of the population that is forecasted to grow to more than 130 million individuals in 2021. Available at a wide range of price points, Android devices also play an important role in expanding health equity and better reaching underserved populations.

“At ChristianaCare, our vision is that all care that can be delivered digitally, on a smartphone or a device in the home or in the community, will be,” said Randy Gaboriault, MS, MBA, Chief Digital and Information Officer at ChristianaCare. “No matter what the technology platform, the most important solutions are those that increase the agency of the patient and connect the necessary information to determine the next best action to drive a targeted outcome. This collaboration with The Commons Project and CommonHealth does just that.”

The adoption of the CommonHealth technology by healthcare providers comes amid recent milestones surrounding interoperability and access to electronic health information. Key provisions of the final rule implementing the 21^st Century Cures Act, which requires, among other things, that healthcare providers give patients free access to all the health information in their electronic medical records, went into effect April 5, 2021. The rule aims to drive innovation in healthcare and improve patient outcomes by increasing access to health data.

“Due to the requirements of the 21st Century CURES Act, health care organizations have increased the amount of healthcare information that their patients can readily access, and have made that information available in real time,” said Dr. Brian Clay, CMIO of UC San Diego Health. “However, platforms like CommonHealth will be essential to allow patients to fully take advantage of this new era of data transparency, by putting patients in control of their health information and allowing them to use it as they wish to improve their health.”

Today’s milestone builds on the previous announcement in December that CommonHealth had partnered with 110 health systems and several national laboratories. With the newest additions to the network, CommonHealth has launched a new version of the app available for download now.

About The Commons Project Foundation
A non-profit public trust established with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, The Commons Project Foundation builds and operates digital platforms and services for the common good. Our mission-driven structure is designed to attract world-class talent to build and sustain digital public services in a way that serves people's interests above all. Beginning with health information, we are focused on empowering people to access and control their personal data and put it to use for their own benefit.

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