Be aware employers on the next contract you negotiate with health insurance plans as there might be some incentives in place to convince employees to use and enroll in a PHR, personal health records. Aetna already has some interest in one, along with other members. The big question is who’s software and where will Google and Microsoft play in to maintain neutrality and protect the full privacy of the patient? In other words keep the data where it is only authorized for access by the patient and to where patients do not eventually coerced into having to provide information to insurers some day against their better judgement. BD
After several years of mostly striking out with consumers, personal health record vendors are adopting a business-to-business marketing model, courting employers and insurers in hopes of expanding PHR adoption. A recent study by Cambridge, Mass.-based industry analyst Chilmark Research found that of the more than 200 PHRs on the market, only 20% are Internet-hosted, which is what the study focused on.
Moore believes the entrance of Google and Microsoft into the market could help raise the bar on what consumers will expect.
AMNews: July 7, 2008. PHR vendors bypass patients, pitch to business ... American Medical News
The most important benefit of obtaining medical records in particular is that this can allow you to receive more appropriate screening if it becomes necessary. There are many different types of screening that we may need as we grow older, and it is essential to know when and if we have ever experienced that screening before. If it is a type of screening that requires regularly scheduled updates, having your medical records on hand can prove to be especially helpful.
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