Viewpoint Paper: The Limits of Free Speech: The PHR Problem

Patients own their medical records. This truth has had a difficult history for those of us who wish to have a single record of our health, wellness, and disease and want to convey that record to whomever we wish whenever we wish. The lack of interoperability among the many sources of our medical record, coupled with the hassle associated with obtaining a copy of one or more of the fragments of our record under the control of providers, has been and continues to be a consumer frustration. Hence the motivation, at least in part, for the movement toward Personal Health Records (PHRs).