SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare

Healthcare in America is changing. At the heart of the transformation is the electronic medical record (EMR). By pulling together all of a patient's information, from lab test results to billing history, into a single electronic record, healthcare organizations can dramatically improve quality of care while at the same lowering their costs. Some are pinning hopes on the EMR to save the healthcare system. President Obama has gone so far as to promise that his administration "will make the immediate investments necessary to ensure that, within 5 years, all of America's medical records are computerized." An ambitious goal, but understandable considering the potential benefits of universal adoption. An emergency room in Philadelphia would have immediate access to your full medical history from your home hospital in Los Angeles. Your pharmacy would know all of your medications and allergies and automatically detect potential problems. Your insurer would be able to resolve billing issues directly with the care provider. Such a frictionless environment for information exchange among healthcare institutions puts vital health information at the fingertips of everyone who needs it. Everyone, that is, except the patient.