Weekend Global Post Roundup - Where is the PHR Market Headed?

Will PHRs be more successful promoted B2B to providers and hospitals, or will wider adoption depend upon consumer-oriented marketing?

An even more important question is how we define successful adoption - does this mean 50% of physicians are using EMRs? Does adoption of this scale indicate success if the EMRs are from 30+ vendors and the utilities don't communicate to each other readily?

Does successful adoption mean a 'killer app' is introduced that drives end-consumer (e-patient) adoption from 3% to 30% (or more?)

Good questions - no easy answer(s), but it's important we postulate solutions.

Continued advancement of patient independence and freedom to participate in the medical system depends upon quick, easy access to our medical data (via PHAs)- as well as the capability to add notes, share images, and send relevant info to current/future providers.

Unfortunately I haven't seen any fireworks marking a day of medical data freedom for e-patients yet, but we're well on the way.

A few good blog posts addressing the PHR development front:

• Bruce Friedman at Lab Soft News (quotes John Moore @ Chilmark Research, who believes Google and Microsoft's entry has "reignited" the market)

• WellingDigital (Australia)

• Luke Koupparis at OnMedica (UK)

Good News/Bad News - CCHIT To Certify PHRs

CCHIT To Certify PHRs

Good News: The government is paying attention to PHRs.

• Personal health records will make an increasingly vital contribution to developing "value-based care" (Mark Leavitt's terminology, not mine, although I like it...).
• PHR recognition is an important step to developing a more participatory model of consumer-centric care.
• Perhaps docs will be paid to help patients develop PHRs; perhaps docs will be paid to interact with PHRs via billable hours for CMS (currently getting paid to use/implement EHR pilot program just getting underway; DC/MD is one of four 'locations' in Phase I of the pilot).
• It's encouraging to see Google, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart reps on the task force roster.
  
• They're currently looking for a "patient representative" to join the working group (e-patients PLEASE apply).
  

Bad News: The government is paying attention to PHRs.

• CCHIT just appointed a 17 person panel (Personal Health Record Advisory Task Force) to look at this, beginning in 2009. They'll be doing an "environmental scan" in July.
• I'd like to see a fiesty, startup HIT person on the list.
  
• Perhaps docs will get paid to help people interact with PHRs. Then BOTH EHRs and PHRs would place 'primary' control of medical data firmly and fully in the hands of the provider/practitioner, and cement it there. There goes the dream of developing a personal health narrative via a consumer-centric PHR.
  
• Where is Safeway? Organized Wisdom? American Well? Diabetes Mine? Other Health 2.0 companies with skin in the game who are strong advocates for PHRs and consumer-centric care?
  
• How many people think they'll miss something?

John at Chilmark Research has a great post here.

UPDATE: Dr. Ted Eytan is serving on the PHR Task Force. My faith in the order of the healthcare universe is one step closer to being restored...

UPDATE 6.12.08: Sue Reber, CCHIT, reports that a patient representative has been chosen, but may/may not choose to release his/her name. The patient rep is a veteran.