Public health in an era of personal health records: opportunities for innovation and new partnerships.
In the near future, citizens will be able to control and manage their own health information through electronic personal health record systems and tools. The clinical benefits of this innovation, such as cost savings, error reduction, and improved communication, have been discussed in the literature and public forums, as have issues related to privacy and confidentiality. Receiving little attention are the benefits these will have for public health. The benefits and potential for innovation are broad and speak directly to core public health functions such as health monitoring, outbreak management, empowerment, linking to services, and research. Coupled with this is a new relationship with citizens as key partners in protecting and promoting the public's health.
Bonander
Jason
J
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. jbonander@cdc.gov
Gates
Suzanne
S
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006293:Health Promotion; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D018570:Risk Assessment
D007252:Influenza Vaccines