Connecting for Health has released the Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information for new Internet services that help consumers track and improve their health. It defines a set of practices that can help protect personal information and enhance consumer participation in online personal health records. Diverse groups   including AARP and consumer and privacy organizations, health insurers, health care providers, and technology companies Dossia, Google, Intuit, Microsoft, and WebMD   have endorsed the framework.

The Markle Foundation, in partnership with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), has completed a Solarium Project on energy security. The goal of this work was to define the essential components of a comprehensive energy security policy for the United States. Markle and CNAS are now considering whether and how to develop information flow processes and collaborative policy structures that can help inform sound energy policies. These efforts are designed to assist the incoming presidential administration in ensuring that energy and climate change challenges are not overlooked in the design and implementation of new national security initiatives. James B. Steinberg, dean of the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, has joined this collaborative effort. He will be leading a team from LBJ and the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the Jackson School of Geosciences (University of Texas).

Visit the Energy Security Project Page.
Read about the CNAS Solarium II Project.

Creating a trusted information sharing environment (ISE) as envisaged by the Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age requires that users and the public have confidence in the system. To establish and maintain trust, security, privacy and accountability, the ISE should incorporate Immutable Audit Logs (IALS) as part of its robust security and audit features. This paper explores the technical, policy, and security issues surrounding IALs as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of using immutable audit logs in the ISE. The paper explains how maintaining tamper-resistant logs of user activity on the network increases security, builds trust among users, ensures compliance with relevant policies and guidelines, improves transparency, and provides the ability to conduct oversight by appropriate stakeholders outside of the system.

Download Using Immutable Audit Logs to Increase Security, Trust and, Accountability (PDF, 356K)

The Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age today released its third report with recommendations on how to reconcile national security needs with civil liberties requirements. The report offers a new "authorized use" standard for government handling of legally collected information that bases authorization to view information on how the information is going to be used, rather than on the nationality of the subject or the location of collection. The report also proposes a new risk management approach to sharing classified information that balances the risk of leaks of classified information with the security risk that can come from failing to share information with those who need it to understand the threats to national security. Further, the report identifies examples of technology that can be used effectively to provide appropriate oversight and accountability.

Download Entire Report (4.8 MB)
Download Visualization (PC, .ZIP, 72.1 MB)
Download Visualization (Macintosh, .ZIP, 50.0 MB)
Read Press Release
Review additional National Security Task Force Reports

The second national Connecting Americans to Their Health Care conference took place in Washington, DC in December 2006. More than 700 consumer and patient advocates and leaders in health care, business, and government, took part in this free 3-day program focused on ways to enable PHRs to communicate across the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN). Results from our newest public opinion survey on American's attitudes towards gaining greater access to their own personal health information were also released.

Click here to access material and presentations given at the 2006 PHR Conference.

The Markle Foundation released Lessons from KatrinaHealth, a report that describes KatrinaHealth and makes recommendations to better prepare the nation to provide secure online access to patient prescription drug records in the event of future disasters. KatrinaHealth is an online service that helped individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina work with their health professionals to gain access to their own electronic prescription medication records. Through KatrinaHealth.org, authorized pharmacists and doctors were able to get records of medications evacuees were using before the storm hit. This information helped healthcare professionals avoid harmful prescription errors and coordinate care. KatrinaHealth.org was awarded the 2006 Pinnacle Award by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation.

Read Press Release
Report: Lessons from KatrinaHealth

See more articles, essays, and speeches.
Go to Markle in the News.

August 20, 2008
Carol Diamond, Chair of Connecting for Health, will discuss the creation of the Common Framework and its application to networked personal health information services at HIPAA Summit XVI at Harvard University.

Click here to find out more about the session.
Click here to register for the event.