When Health Care and Privacy Meet Online

April 17, 2008 — -- Health information and communications technologies (HIT) will play a vital role in the creation of a 21st century health care system that is safe, effective, patient-centric and fair.

For doctors, HIT brings the promise of advanced knowledge at the point of care. For patients, HIT transforms their passive role into one of collaboration and partnership with their health care team.

While the integration of technology into health care has been slower than hoped for, the transition is well under way in health care systems around the country. For example:

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are replacing paper records. While many still experience the frustration of a paper-driven system that is only slightly more sophisticated than black-and-white reruns of Marcus Welby, M.D., EHRs give leading health care providers a complete and accurate medical history as well as links to practice guidelines and best practices. Doctors can access a wide range of tools that support prevention, care management and compliance with protocols.

Electronic Prescribing (ePrescribing) significantly cuts down the errors that can arise in the chain from doctor to pharmacy to patient. It's not just about sending a prescription electronically to ensure legibility. A good ePrescribing system automatically flags potentially harmful drug interactions and checks a health plan's reimbursement schedule to reduce costs for patients.

Personal Health Records (PHRs) are patient-owned and controlled electronic health records that allow people to store, access and coordinate their complete health history and make appropriate parts available to those who need it. The key here is that individuals are in control of their own information. This helps patients become engaged in their own health care.

For anyone with a chronic condition that requires regular monitoring, a PHR is a valuable tool. PHRs are sometimes offered by health care systems, insurers and employers. Increasingly, they are also available on the Internet. Microsoft recently launched a PHR service and Google is beta testing its service.