Portable, accessible records are the key to increasing the quality of care and minimizing errors in the paper trail. In some places, regional health information organizations link patients and local providers. Elsewhere, medical groups are setting up their own websites, and patients are creating personal health records that can be shared with their doctors
... in your pocket
At some practices, patients can get the results of physicals and EKGs and other data loaded onto a so-called thumb drive that plugs into a PC. Records can be updated on visits to specialists and beamed to other doctors
... in your wallet
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