“As more people do more of their business on the Internet-making travel arrangements, banking, trading stocks, checking their children’s grades, catching up on the news, downloading books and movies, keeping track of their friends and business associates-the day will come when they start to wonder why they have to resort to the telephone to call their doctor.
Some healthcare providers are more than ready for that day, because their patients can already communicate with them online through a patient portal. Those lucky patients are swapping secure e-mail with their physicians, perhaps even scheduling appointments and reading their lab results. A few have access to their full electronic health record and can upload glucose readings or other information to help their doctor keep tabs on them without dragging them into the office.”
Elizabeth Gardner, Health Data Management Magazine, 1 March 2010
