Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault

A Microsoft HealthVault Step-by-Step Guide

This guide provides instructions to help you:

Set up Microsoft® HealthVault™ Connection Center

Set up your health and fitness devices to work with

HealthVault Connection Center

Use Connection Center to send data from your devices

to your Microsoft® HealthVault™ account

Learn about other features in Connection Center

2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, HealthVault and the HealthVault logo, Windows, and Windows Live are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 1

Introduction

Welcome to Microsoft HealthVault and Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center!

In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how HealthVault and HealthVault Connection Center work

together to help you manage your health and fitness data. You will learn how to:

Set up Connection Center.

Connect a health and fitness device to your computer and get it set up.

Use Connection Center to send the data stored on the device to HealthVault.

This guide also includes information about the tools and settings within Connection Center that can help

you manage your health and fitness devices and data.

How it works

Use a device to measure health and fitness data

Connect your device to HealthVault

Track and analyze your data online

Before you begin Let's take a quick look at some of the terms used in this guide.

Microsoft HealthVault Microsoft HealthVault is a website that offers you a way to store health information from many sources

in one location, so that it's always organized and available to you on the Internet. In one HealthVault

account, you can store information for an individual or for the entire family.

Microsoft is working with doctors, hospitals, employers, pharmacies, insurance providers, and

manufacturers of health and fitness devices—blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors,

pedometers, and more—to make it easy for you to add information electronically to your HealthVault

record.

Introduction (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 2

Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center is an easy-to-use program that you install on your computer.

With it, you can copy data from your health and fitness devices and send that data to your online

HealthVault account.

We'll call this program "Connection Center" from now on.

Health and fitness devices Health and fitness devices are any devices that you use to measure or collect data about your health or

fitness. In this guide, we're talking specifically about health and fitness devices that can connect to your

computer. A wide variety of these devices are available, such as pedometers, blood-pressure gauges,

glucose meters, and many more.

To view the list of devices that are compatible with HealthVault, visit the Health tools and devices page

on HealthVault at http://www.healthvault.com/personal/app-device.aspx.

People and users You can use your HealthVault account to manage information for more than one person—such as your

child or other family member. Some health and fitness devices store data for more than one user, or

more than one person might use a particular device. A simple page in Connection Center lets you

associate the users of a device with the correct people in your HealthVault account so that the data

from the device gets added to the right records.

Upload and download When you send information between your computer and the Internet, you are either uploading

information or downloading information. Information that comes from your computer and gets sent to a

website like HealthVault is uploaded. Information that comes from a website and gets sent to your

computer is downloaded.

Let's get started All you need to get started is your computer, an Internet connection, and a HealthVault account. Later,

you will need your health and fitness device and (depending on what kind of device it is) the computer

cable that came with the device.

Note If you have not created your HealthVault account yet, you can find instructions for doing so by visiting

http://www.healthvault.com.

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 3

Set up Connection Center

While HealthVault is a website on the Internet, Connection Center is a program that is installed directly

on your computer. To set up Connection Center, complete the following steps:

Step 1: Download the software

Step 2: Install the software

Step 1: Download the software When you download software, the installation files for the software program are copied to a temporary

location on your computer. This is not the same as installing the files; it merely prepares your computer

for the installation.

1. On the Learn about devices page on the HealthVault website, use your mouse to click the Install Connection Center link.

More information:

The web address for the Learn about devices page is http://www.healthvault.com/personal/devices-overview.aspx. It is the same page where you found this step-by-step guide.

2. After you click the link, a security message might appear. Use the From line on the message to verify that the file that you are about to download is from downloads.microsoft.com, and then click Run or Open.

More information:

Security messages like these help you keep your computer safe from viruses and other malicious software.

After you click Run or Open, Connection Center is downloaded (copied) to your computer.

3. When the download is complete, another security warning appears asking if you want to run Connection Center. Use the Publisher line to verify that Microsoft is the publisher, and then click Run.

4. If a User Account Control message appears, click Yes to indicate that this program is allowed to make changes to your computer. (If this message doesn't appear, that's okay.)

Set up Connection Center (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 4

Step 2: Install the software When the download is complete, the Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center Setup Wizard opens

automatically.

This wizard helps you install Connection Center. On each page of the wizard, choose the setting that you

want, and then click Next to move to the next page. (On some pages, the Next button is not available

until you have made a selection.) If you want to change a setting on a previous wizard page, click Back.

On the last page of the wizard, click Finish to complete the installation.

The following topics provide more information about the pages in the setup wizard.

Customer Experience Improvement Program page With the Customer Experience Improvement Program, we gather anonymous information that helps us

improve Microsoft products to better reflect the needs of our customers. Participation in the program is

optional.

On the wizard page, click Yes if you want to participate, or click No if you do not want to participate, and

then click Next. For more details about the program and the ways we protect your information, click

View the CEIP Privacy Statement.

End-User License Agreement page Read over the software license terms, and then, if you agree to the terms, select the I accept the terms

of the license agreement check box.

Note When you click Next on this wizard page, the installation starts. Installation takes only a few minutes. When the wizard indicates that the installation was successful, click Finish.

Set up Connection Center (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 5

After installation is complete Connection Center opens automatically. The page that you see depends on your computer.

If this is true: You see this page: And your next step is:

You don't have any HealthVault-compatible devices installed yet.

Skip the remainder of this section and proceed to the next section, Send device data to HealthVault.

A HealthVault-compatible device is installed but not currently connected to the computer.

To use the device that is shown near the top of the page, connect the device as described in the next section, Send device data to HealthVault.

To use a device that is not yet installed, click Devices, and then click Add a device. Proceed to the next section, Send device data to HealthVault.

A HealthVault-compatible device is installed and connected to the computer.

To use the device that is shown near the top of the page, proceed to Step 4: Authorize access to HealthVault in the next section.

To use a device that is not yet installed, click Devices, and then click Add a device. Proceed to the start of the next section, Send device data to HealthVault.

Note

You can remove any extra devices later. For information, see Manage devices later in this guide.

The device manufacture shown in the images above, Fabrikam, is not a real manufacturer.

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 6

Send device data to HealthVault

Your HealthVault account is set up and Connection Center is installed. You are ready to set up your

device to work with Connection Center and then start sending data from your device to HealthVault.

Important

To view the list of devices that are compatible with HealthVault, visit the Devices page on HealthVault at http://www.healthvault.com/personal/devices.aspx.

If your device came with a software CD, set aside the CD and follow this guide and the on-screen instructions in Connection Center. For some devices, Connection Center might call for the manufacturer's CD; use it only then.

To set up your device and send device data to HealthVault, complete the following steps:

Step 1: Set up your device

Step 2: Connect the device to your computer

Step 3: Install the device software

Step 4: Authorize access to HealthVault

Step 5: Select users and start the upload

Note When you connect a device to your computer, you plug it into the computer or, in the case of an

infrared device, you place it in range. The first time that you connect a device to your computer, the

device is installed. This means software for the device—called the device driver—is copied to the

computer and turned on. That software stays active on your computer even after you disconnect the

device, so that it doesn't need to be installed again the next time that you connect the device.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 7

Step 1: Set up your device Use the instructions provided by the device manufacturer to set up your device. Device setup might

include inserting batteries or plugging the device into an electrical source, entering information about

yourself (such as your height, weight, age, and so on), and selecting device settings.

Important Be sure to set the correct date and time on the device. HealthVault uses dates and times to identify each item of information, to build graphs, and more.

Step 2: Connect the device to your computer

1. Make sure that Connection Center is either open or running in the background.

If this is true: You see this on the taskbar:

Connection Center is open. A taskbar button with the HealthVault logo.

Depending on your system settings, you might see more or less of the taskbar button, and the background might be a different color.

Connection Center is running in the background (not open but still available).

The HealthVault logo in the notification area.

The notification area is the collection of small icons next to the clock. You might need to click a small up arrow in order to view all available icons.

Note

The taskbar is the long bar on one side of your computer screen that has the Start button and the clock.

To open Connection Center, click Start, click All Programs or Programs, click Microsoft HealthVault, and then click Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center.

2. Connect your device to the computer. Health and fitness devices typically use either a USB or infrared connection. Use the following sections to determine which type of connection your device uses, and then follow the instructions for connecting that type of the device.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 8

Connect a USB device You connect a USB cable to your computer by inserting a rectangular plug into a narrow slot—called a

USB port—on your computer. The following picture shows the end of the USB cable that attaches to

your computer. It also shows two USB ports.

As the picture indicates, your computer probably has more than one USB port. These might be located

on the front or back of a desktop computer, or on any side of a laptop computer. Use the port that is

most convenient for you.

Important The USB cable can attach to the port only one way. If the plug does not slide in easily, try flipping it over.

If the other end of the cable is not already attached to the device, plug it in there. If you need

instructions, refer to the documentation that came with the device.

When both ends of the cable are attached, Windows® automatically detects the device and, if needed,

installs the driver for the device. When this happens, a notification message appears in the notification

area on your screen.

The message goes away automatically when the driver installation is complete.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 9

Connect an infrared device An infrared device—sometimes called an IrDA device—communicates with a computer by sending a

signal in a beam of infrared light. To use an infrared device, you need two transceivers, one on the

computer and one on the device. A transceiver is a small, dark red window, such as you might see on a

television remote control.

Note that the transceiver on your device might be a different size or shape than the one shown in the

picture.

Some computers come with a built-in transceiver, or you can purchase an external transceiver and

attach it to your computer. (External transceivers typically attach through a USB port. For more

information about connecting USB devices to the computer, see the previous section.)

Your infrared device probably has a built-in transceiver. To connect the device, place it within three feet

(approximately one meter) of the computer and make sure that the transceivers are facing each other.

Windows automatically detects the device and, if needed, installs the driver for the device. When this

happens, a notification message appears in the lower right corner of your screen.

The message goes away automatically when the driver installation is complete.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 10

Step 3: Install the device software Now that you have connected the device and Windows has installed the device driver, you are ready to

install the software that enables your device to work with Connection Center.

1. After the driver is installed, Connection Center automatically detects the device. On the Add your device to Connection Center page (shown below), click Add.

2. Connection Center starts the installation of the software that has been provided by the device manufacturer. You might be prompted to insert the CD that accompanied the device. Follow the instructions on the screen.

More information:

If Connection Center does not ask you to insert the CD that came with the device, it means that the device manufacturer has already supplied the software to Microsoft. You do not need the CD.

The installation process for each device varies. You might need to work through a setup wizard. Simply follow the instructions on the screen, making selections on each page of the wizard and clicking Next to move to the next page.

3. During installation, a User Account Control message might appear. Click Yes to allow the software to install.

4. If needed, click Finish or Close to dismiss the setup wizard.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 11

Step 4: Authorize access to HealthVault

Note You need to complete this step only once. If you add an additional device to Connection Center later, Connection Center will use the access settings that you specify here.

You have connected your device and installed the device software. In Connection Center, the

Before you can upload page is showing.

1. Click Go to HealthVault online, and then use your Windows Live® ID to sign in to HealthVault. (If you don't yet have a Windows Live ID or a HealthVault account, you have the opportunity to create them now.)

The Whose information will Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center be able to access page appears.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 12

2. Click the check box next to each person who uses devices to track health information, and then click Continue.

More information:

In the picture above, the check boxes for John and Maria are both selected, so Connection Center will be able to upload information for both people.

3. For each person that you selected in step 2 above, a page appears where you can specify the types of information that Connection Center can access or upload to HealthVault. This page looks something like this (although it's possible only part of it fits in your browser window):

For each type of information, select or clear the check box. When you are done making selections, click Allow access.

Important For best results and to accommodate future devices, we recommend leaving all of the check boxes selected. Connection Center uploads only those types of information that are stored on your devices.

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 13

More information:

Make selections and click Allow access for each of the people that you selected. You can see the record that you are allowing access to by scrolling up to the top of the page.

To learn how allowing access to a particular type of information can help you, click the Reason for access link next to the check box for that type of information.

4. After the access settings are saved, HealthVault opens Connection Center. If messages appear asking you to okay this action, click Allow in each message.

When Connection Center opens, the settings are downloaded from HealthVault to Connection Center.

When that is complete, Connection Center is ready for the next step.

Step 5: Select users and start the upload Each HealthVault account can contain information for a number of people, and you can use Connection

Center to upload information for all of these people. When you upload data from any device, you have

the opportunity to specify which person the data on the device belongs to. If the device stores data for

more than one user, you can associate the users of the device with the correct people in your

HealthVault account.

1. Map the user or users of the device to the correct person or people in your HealthVault account. To do this, click in the box for each user, and then click the name of the person that matches that user.

More information:

If the device stores data for only one user, you see the Select a person page, which looks something like this:

Send device data to HealthVault (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 14

If the device stores data for multiple users, you see the Select the matching person for each device user page, which looks something like this:

2. After selecting the user or users, click Upload now.

More information:

The upload consists of two operations. First, the data on the device is copied to the computer. Next, the data is uploaded to HealthVault. You will see progress messages about these operations in Connection Center.

3. When the upload is complete, you see the Upload succeeded page.

To go to your HealthVault account and view the uploaded data, click View data in HealthVault. To start another upload, click Return to the Ready for a New Upload screen.

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 15

Other features in Connection Center

This section describes the menus and features in Connection Center. It includes the following topics:

Parts of the screen

Customize Connection Center

Check for updates to Connection Center

Manage devices

Manage access

View information about Connection Center

Send feedback about Connection Center

Close or exit Connection Center

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 16

Parts of the screen The following picture shows the parts of the Connection Center window. A description of each

numbered part follows the picture.

The main work area. The settings here change depending on the task that you are performing.

The Devices menu. Click this menu to select or add the device that you want to work with.

The menu for the current device. Click this menu to view device details, set the default upload action for the device, or view previously uploaded data for this type of device. This menu does not appear if no device is installed.

The Tools menu. Click this menu to manage access to HealthVault, switch languages, check for software updates, set options for Connection Center, or exit Connection Center.

The Help menu. Click this menu to view online help and other information about Connection Center. You can also send feedback about Connection Center and view or change your settings for the Customer Experience Improvement Program.

For more information about these features, see the remaining topics in this section.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 17

Customize Connection Center You can customize Connection Center to start automatically when you log on to Windows, to

automatically detect new devices that are compatible with HealthVault, or to use a different display

language.

Start Connection Center automatically

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Select the Start Connection Center automatically when I log on to my computer check box, and then click OK.

If you clear the check box, you must open Connection Center from the Start menu whenever you want to upload data from a device. On the Start menu, click All Programs or Programs, click Microsoft HealthVault, and then click Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center.

Automatically detect compatible devices

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Select the If I connect a HealthVault-compatible device to my computer, prompt me to add it to Connection Center check box, and then click OK.

If you clear the check box, you must manually add the device to Connection Center. For instructions, see Manage devices later in this section.

View the text in Connection Center in a different language

On the Tools menu, point to Switch language, and then select the language that you want to use.

Check for updates to Connection Center Updates to the Connection Center software may become available periodically. Updates might include

new features, improvements to existing features, or resolutions to problems in the software.

On the Tools menu, click Check for updates, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

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Manage devices Connection Center includes a number of features to help you manage your health and fitness devices.

Add a device

1. On the Devices menu, click Add a device. The Connect your device to your computer page is displayed.

2. Connect the new device to the computer and install the device software. For more information, see Send device data to HealthVault earlier in this guide.

Switch to a different installed device

On the Devices menu, click the name of the device.

If the device that you want is not listed, you might need to add the device.

Remove a device To remove a device from Connection Center, you must uninstall the device software. For more

information, click Help, click View online help, click Working with devices in Connection Center, and

then click Removing a device.

View device details Information provided by the manufacturer of a device is referred to as the device details.

1. In Connection Center, switch to the device that you want to view information about.

2. Click the device name, and then click Device details.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

Using Devices with Microsoft HealthVault P a g e | 19

Change the default upload action for a device You can choose what happens when you connect an already installed device. You can choose one of the

following actions:

Upload automatically. With this option selected, the upload starts as soon as you connect the device. If there is more than one person in your HealthVault account, Connection Center "remembers" the user or users that you selected for the device previously.

Open a Connection Center window and let me choose the person whose data I want to upload. With this option selected, when you connect a device, Connection Center displays the page where you can select the person or people with data stored on the device and then start the upload. This option is selected by default for most devices.

Do nothing. With this option selected, Connection Center does not respond when you connect an already installed device. (If you have Connection Center set to detect new devices, that still occurs.) To upload the data on the device, you must open Connection Center, switch to the device, and then start the upload.

1. In Connection Center, switch to the device that you want to customize.

2. Click the device name, and then click Default action.

3. Select the option that you want, and then click OK.

View uploaded data in HealthVault for a particular type of device

1. In Connection Center, switch to the device.

2. Click the device name, and then click View data in HealthVault.

3. Sign in to HealthVault using your Windows Live ID. If you are already signed in, you can skip this step.

The HealthVault page that contains the appropriate items appears. To view items of the same type for another person in the account, click that person's name on the left side of the page.

Note All items of this health information type are shown, including data from other devices and items that you entered manually.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

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Manage access At any time, you can change the people for whom Connection Center can send information to

HealthVault.

Add a person

1. On the Tools menu, click Add a person.

HealthVault opens in your Internet browser.

2. If needed, sign in to HealthVault by providing your Windows Live ID and password.

3. If the person that you want to add is not shown, click Add another family member, and then enter information for the new person according to the instructions on the website.

4. On the Whose information with Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center be able to access page, select the check box for the person that you want to add.

5. Select the types of information that Connection Center can upload, and then click Allow access.

More information:

For best results and to accommodate future devices, we recommend leaving all of the check boxes selected.

6. In the security messages, click Allow to download the new settings to Connection Center.

For more information about adding people to your HealthVault account, click the Help link in the upper

right corner of the HealthVault website. For more information about allowing Connection Center access

to account information, see Step 4: Authorize access to HealthVault earlier in this guide.

Remove a person Removing a person from Connection Center removes only your authorization for Connection Center

access to that person's record in HealthVault. It does not remove any other information from your

HealthVault account.

1. On the Tools menu, click Remove a person.

2. In the Select a person box, click the name of the person for whom you no longer want to upload data, and then click Remove.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

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View information about Connection Center You can get more information about Connection Center in a number of ways.

Open Help

On the Help menu, click View help online.

Open the troubleshooting page

On the Help menu, click Troubleshoot.

View legal information

On the Help menu, click View privacy statement or View terms of use.

View the version number

On the Help menu, click About Connection Center.

Send feedback about Connection Center If you are participating in the Customer Experience Improvement Program, anonymous information

about how you use Connection Center—including any problems that you have—is sent to Microsoft

automatically. You can also send us specific feedback.

Tell us what you think

1. On the Help menu, click Send feedback.

A website opens where you can provide detailed feedback about Connection Center.

2. When you are done entering feedback, click Submit.

Change your quality program settings When you installed Connection Center, you might have chosen to participate in the Customer

Experience Improvement Program. You can change this setting at any time.

1. On the Help menu, click Quality program.

2. To participate in the program, select the Join the Customer Experience Improvement Program for Connection Center check box. To stop participating in the program, clear the check box.

3. Click OK.

Other features in Connection Center (continued)

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Close or exit Connection Center When you close the Connection Center window, Connection Center continues to run in the background,

ready for your next data upload. It continues to run until you exit the program or log off of Windows.

When you exit Connection Center, it is turned all the way off. Unless you have Connection Center set to

open automatically when you log on to Windows, you must open it from the Start menu when you are

ready to upload device data.

Close Connection Center but leave it running

Click the red X in the upper right corner of the window.

To open Connection Center again, double-click the Connection Center icon in the notification

area on the taskbar (near the clock).

Exit Connection Center

On the Tools menu, click Exit.

To start Connection Center again, click Start, click All Programs or Programs, click Microsoft HealthVault, and then click Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center.