Consumers as Network Participants
Markle Connecting for Health
The mere aggregation of the consumer’s data should not be an end in itself. The true test is whether the network makes it easier for ordinary people to coordinate and engage more actively in their own health and health care. We see a networked environment for PHRs as a foundation for Americans to improve the quality and safety of the care they receive, to communicate better with their doctors, to manage their own health, and to take care of loved ones.
This document is part of the Markle Connecting for Health Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information. The framework proposes a set of practices that, when taken together, encourage appropriate handling of personal health information as it flows to and from personal health records (PHRs) and similar applications or supporting services.
This section explains why consumer participation can be transformative in health care as it has been in other sectors; why networked PHRs are a vital tool to empowering consumers, and how policies can help guide an emerging industry.
