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Personal Health Records Facilitate Efficient, Quality HealthCare

The idea of maintaining a personal health record-one source that contains information on an individual's or family's medical records, health history, vaccinations, medical tests, etc.-is favored by most Americans. An online Harris poll conducted in 2004 found that 42% of the 2,242 surveyed adults maintained a personal health record, kept for themselves (95%), for a spouse (51%) or for their children (38%). Among those who did not keep a personal or family health record, 84% thought it was a good idea to do so.

Only 13% of the individuals in the Harris poll maintained their personal health records in electronic form. However, positive public attitude toward this possibility, progress in the development of industry standards, and tools being developed by technology companies and health insurers could result in this percentage rapidly rising in the near future. In a study from the Markle Foundation, which works to advance uses of information and communication technologies for public needs, 72% of respondents supported creation of a nationwide health information exchange or network for doctors and patients. Also, 60% supported creation of a secure online personal health record to check and fill prescriptions, get test results over the Internet, check for mistakes in a health record, and conduct secure and private e-mail communications with physicians.

Having a personal health record can facilitate necessary treatments by providing ready access to relevant patient history. According to the Markle Foundation survey, respondents thought that electronic exchanges of information would increase the quality and efficiency of the health care system; result in faster and more accurate medical treatment in emergency situations; lower health care costs; enable patients to control who has access to their medical information; and decrease incidences of medical error.

Electronic personal health records could take a number of forms, with an individual's health information centrally stored and accessible on a Web site, personal computer, or disc or other portable drive, such as a memory stick. As mentioned above, some health insurers and e-commerce companies offer some type of electronic personal health record capability to interested members, and some technology companies have developed services that can be purchased on an individual or family basis. Many of these act like an electronic file cabinet, and rely on the member to input or otherwise provide the information that is to be part of the file, and then offer the means to organize and track the information that is included.

However, electronic personal health record offerings are becoming more sophisticated. In April 2006, Dell Computers-which has made electronic health records available to employees since 2004-announced an initiative with WebMD through which employees can decide to have pharmacy and medical claim information automatically and securely imported into their personal health records.

As individuals become increasingly comfortable with technologies, and more involved in managing their own health care, improvements in electronic personal health records are bound to grow.