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The Future of Personal Health Records
6-20-07
As a hub of information and information-management tools controlled by the patient, personal health records present a number of promises, perils, and challenges in the years ahead. In this report, six experts share their views on the future of PHRs, from the perspective of the technologist, informed patient, physician, employer, and public health professional.
The ideal PHR holds tremendous potential, according to these experts. It could receive and evaluate information from a patient's lab results or monitoring devices; store a patient's observations about physical and social environment; link with a clinician's electronic health record; and much more. On a grander scale, PHRs could also make health care more affordable by urging prevention and wellness, and by streamlining care delivery.
But some worry that PHRs might disrupt the doctor-patient relationship, saddle overburdened physicians with unreimbursed information-management duties, and overload consumers with data.
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