The present technique provides a novel method and apparatus for generating a multi-media patient summary which integrates patient information including a wide range of information having disparate formats and originating from isolated systems. The multi-media may be delivered to care providers and patients for use in medical diagnosis and care. The contents of the multi-media patient summary may be tailored to meet the needs of the specific care provider, and may include, for example, clinical data, patient demographics, and reference materials. The summary may be a digital file that encapsulates patient information having formats, such as text, images, sound files, video, waveforms, hypertext links, and so forth. The file may be encrypted and require a proprietary or non-proprietary reader to view. Additionally, the flow of information may be bi-directional between the multi-media patient summary and users of the summary.