Can PHRs really make patients healthier?

AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 4, 2008

Just like with do-it-yourself taxes, a growing software industry lets patients create their own "personal health records." No more answering 10-page questionnaires every time you visit a new doctor--just hit the print button before leaving home to arrive armed with your life's medical history. But can using personal health records actually make patients healthier? The government is spending millions on the first studies to find out--and if so, the findings would give doctors a big push to get on board.