Editorial: Web health records may save time, money

As the chief medical information officer for Fairview Health Services, Dr. Ray Gensinger knows well the challenges and potential of medicine's shift from paper to electronic patient records. And so when Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently threw his weight behind one of the most practical applications born of that transition -- a consumer-owned, web-accessible personal health record -- Gensinger approved. "It's the right direction to go and somebody has to say 'Move!' as opposed to standing around talking about it.''

The concept of a Personal Health Record (PHR) -- a comprehensive, patient-owned medical history from a range of providers -- isn't new. But now, the era of a PHR becoming an increasingly routine part of health care is at hand. That's a development that should intrigue health consumers, as well as give them pause.

Pawlenty's call to give all Minnesotans access to an online personal health portfolio by 2011 builds on momentum happening here and across the nation to make the PHR a reality. Leading Minnesota health providers already allow patients to access some records via the Web and are working cooperatively to ease information exchange between clinics and hospitals. The Twin Cities-based Carlson Companies is pioneering PHRs for employees. On a national level, two industry heavyweights just launched competing PHR products: Microsoft debuted HealthVault late last fall, while search engine Google announced Google Health this May. Both work the same way: consumers open password-protected accounts to store records.

In an age of rising health care costs, PHRs hold allure for providers and patients. It's thought this comprehensive record could lead to greater diagnostic insights and reduce the risk of harmful drug interactions. For patients who travel, there's a huge benefit of having complete medical records accessible in seconds via the Internet. A PHR could also help children of aging parents manage their care.

Microsoft and Google have beta versions of products that allow early adapters to open up a PHR. Doing so is eye-opening. At this point, there are few providers that conveniently dump your information into a PHR, and no standardized format. Inputting, then managing info is going to be an ongoing, time-consuming project for consumers. A test account also raises other thought-provoking questions. How secure is the information? And, do federal privacy laws governing records in doctor's offices apply? There's also a potential for PHR companies to mine records for research.

Online banking companies have successfully handled similar challenges. Yet health information is vastly more complex and arguably, even more sensitive. Without question, PHRs hold significant promise. Their growing use should generate both excitement and debate in years to come.