A national survey looks at the use of and attitudes toward personal health records (PHRs) and other health IT. The findings indicate that users of PHRs say they become more engaged in their health as a result of being able to access their medical information online.

The sharing of lab results with providers and patients is subject to an array of federal and state laws. This paper provides information to help policymakers understand the issues.

This briefing discussed the interactions of federal and state privacy provisions, including those established by the recent federal economic stimulus legislation.

This issue brief analyzes the health privacy legal landscape in California before 2009 and discusses changes made by the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Online tools such as electronic health record (EHR) portals and personal health records (PHRs) are being offered to patients by some enterprising safety-net providers. A new report looks at four organizations that are making these valuable resources available.

The March/April 2009 issue of Health Affairs explores health information technology: its transformative promise, the challenges to its adoption, and the dangers posed if that adoption is not done right. Select articles are available at no cost through CHCF.

The application of new tools for sharing medical data must keep in sight the personal privacy rights of patients. To help clarify the issues surrounding health privacy, CHCF cofunded a series of reports by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Surveys suggest that three out of four patients want some sort of online connection with their medical providers. This report examines how patient-oriented HIT is evolving by looking at clinical settings in five regions, including California.

This issue brief explores the laws governing health information privacy as they relate to mental health and substance abuse treatment, and presents three scenarios illustrating the challenges in finding the right balance between privacy and disclosure.

This publication explores the technological and legal landscape governing personal health information, as well as key issues that must be addressed for consumers to have an appropriate level of control over their own health records.

These best practices are intended to serve as aspirational guidelines for employers, not a one-size-fits-all solution, as companies develop and implement their own PHR-related policies and practices.

This report examines key privacy and security issues that regional health information organizations may encounter and the policies and practices they adopt to manage those issues.

This report assesses the promises, perils, and the challenges of personal health records and the impact they could have in the coming years based on the perspectives of leading experts in the field.

The Breast Care Center at UCSF designed an application build a customized care plan for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Such patient-centered PHRs may remind a patient to take medications, provide tailored decision prompts to help people understand and adhere to treatment regimens, or transmit data to providers.

This issue brief examines employer initiatives to adopt personal health records (PHRs) as a tool to cut costs and improve efficiency. It explores the pros and cons of PHRs and offers a road map for adoption.