The Issue

No one has a bigger stake in the accuracy of what’s said and written down at the doctor’s office than individual patients and their families. As medical data become increasingly computerized, people will have greater opportunities to view and share their personal health data.

The Personal Health Technology Initiative envisions a future in which patients, consumers and caregivers take a very active role in their health and health care. There are emerging technologies such as personal health records (PHRs) with the potential to transform the role of the health care consumer.

PHRs are a set of computer- and Internet-based tools that allow people to access and coordinate their health information and make appropriate parts of it available to those who need it. But the sharing of sensitive electronic health information requires a new level of trust between patients and the health professionals and organizations that serve them.

This year’s conference will focus on how PHRs and similar technologies can connect to networks of health information, without sacrificing privacy that Americans hold dear. We must bring consumers to the table of a national discussion to make sure that personal health information technologies and networks evolve to support the goals of patient empowerment, privacy protection, and quality health care.

For More Information

Recent reports, press releases, and other resources and information are available at www.connectingforhealth.org and www.markle.org.