As a family physician and advocate for the use of technology to enhance patient care, I have watched with great interest the development of personal health records. The future potential benefits are significant, providing individuals with a personal view of their health status and the ability to interact with their physician(s), and other caregivers, particularly in relation to specific disease conditions.

As with any new technology, there is always a heightened sense of expectation. How much information, how soon can it be accessed what types of information? These are questions that will be answered as we become more comfortable with personal health records and exactly where they fit into care delivery. More...