In One Place

Last week, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center added Microsoft HealthVault as another option, including Google Health, to store their medical records online, says Life as a Healthcare CIO. "We believe that patients should be the stewards of their own data," says John Halamka, BIDMC's chief information officer. It will be just as easy for patients to upload their problem lists, medications, and allergies to the Microsoft site, and they'll be able to share it with doctors who currently don't have access to BIDMC's personal health records web site, Patientsite. "The end result will be when patients leave the BIDMC area or see a provider outside the area they can have all their medical data located in one safe place."