Are there no limits to the iPhone? Every time you turn around it seems there is a new application for this amazing device; just yesterday they released a program that would feed your pets for you while on vacation. In all seriousness, some of these programs are pretty incredible. There is a program called ColorHelper, assisting those with colorblindness identify colors. For example, if the device were pointed at a dresser drawer, ColorHelper will identify all socks that are red.

The number of applications being developed for the iPhone is baffling, and while some of these are ?just for fun,? a majority are designed to make life easier. You can find software to manage everything from your golf game to your holiday shopping list.

While you certainly don't want to forget Aunt Susie this Christmas, perhaps it is more important to remember to take your blood pressure medication. Or, Heaven forbid, you are traveling and fall ill, it would be advantageous to have your medical information handy. Your medical records are invaluable and it makes sense to have immediate access to this information. No surprise; there's an iPhone application for that too!

It would be convenient if there was a giant database that stored everyone's medical information, easily accessible with a touch of a button or a click of a mouse. Unfortunately, in the United States the concept of electronic medical records (EMR), or electronic health records (EHR) are implementing slowly. A majority of health care providers still manage paper offices. Companies like e-MDs, based in Austin, TX, are leading the charge in providing integrated EHR and practice management solutions; though it may take some time until a universal system becomes reality. Just think, your childhood immunization record may be stored in a filing cabinet where you attended elementary school. An extreme example, but it illustrates the potential difficulty in accessing your personal medical record.

While we wait for the health care industry to catch the digital wave, you now have the option of managing your own medical records. To start, simply request them from your current and previous doctors. You may need to fill out a form, perhaps pay a small fee. Once the documents are in hand, you will need to transfer the information to digital format, a small investment of your time for portable health. Google Health has been innovative in creating a system that will help you manage your electronic medical records online, but software developed for the iPhone allows for portability of this vital information.

xCube Labs has created the application Health n Me Pro for your iPhone, available for download from the iTunes store for $2.99. My Life Record PMR, from Life Record Inc., is available for download for $49.99 and allows you to manage up to twelve patient records (you can manage your entire family for example). Both applications were designed with privacy in mind and will assist you in first obtaining your records, then filing them electronically, and using advanced features for managing them. You are able to manage and organize emergency contact info, medical charts and x-rays, medications, lab results, appointments?the list goes on. With ease you can share information securely.

Applications for the iPhone continue to advance, but more importantly, become more useful. It seems as soon as the need arises, an iPhone application is developed to fill it. When it comes to organizing and managing your personal health record, software similar to the examples mentioned above allow the access of your personal health information to be in your control at the touch of a button.