Innovation through Patient Health Records

Health care by its very nature is extremely data and knowledge intensive. Large volumes of data is generated and stored for a patient. This data originates at different offices and are fragmented. Paper copies of data captured by various medical devices are still routinely used in medical data exchange. However, electronic storage and communication of medical data is on the rise and will be part of medical infrastructure. We review the emerging architecture of US Nationwide Health Information Network and electronic medical records. A personal health record is a repository where health data and information related to the care of a patient is maintained by the patient. It combines data, knowledge, and software tools for the entire history of a patient. We believe that personal health records will foster innovation by empowering the patient and providing a complete medical history of patients.