Released: March 11, 2008

New ways to manage health data

Source: Michael S. Gerber, Washington Post (Free Registration)

You already bank online and use computer software to do your taxes. So why don’t you trust technology to help you manage your health? Microsoft, Google and more than 100 Web sites offering personal health records know the answer, but they’re betting they can quell your fears about posting your most private information online and get you to sign on soon.

Online personal health records, or PHRs, began years ago as password-protected templates for storing basic medical information, accessible from any computer connected to the Web. Some still function that way, making them a convenience for patients with chronic conditions, life-threatening allergies and long medication lists. Many experts also recommend PHRs for adult caregivers of elderly family members or parents of children with chronic health problems.

“I think [they] can be very valuable for people who want to keep close track and have portable—available for them when they need it—detailed medical records,” said Peter Basch, a Washington physician and medical director of MedStar’s e-health initiative.

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