MINNEAPOLIS, June 11, 2009 - The AMA has contracted with a software company to develop a portal that will connect physicians to Microsoft’s HealthVault, an online platform that lets consumers collect, store, and share health information from a variety of health care providers as well as a variety of health devices.

The portal is intended to offer physicians easy access to such things as clinical resources, practice and revenue management tools, and eprescribing, and electronic health record applications as well as to their patients’ personal health record (provided they grant access). The AMA portal, which is currently in beta testing, will be launched in 2010.

In Minnesota, HealthPartners has announced that its members can now transfer information from their HealthPartners account directly to Microsoft HealthVault. The move enables members to permanently access their health information and share it free of charge even if they change their health plan or doctor.