Let us assume these mega-sites succeed in emboldening the consumer to administer more of their health care. Consumers would take over a bit of the role of traditional primary care doctors, diagnostic specialists and disease management services. The influence of insurance plans would also be diminished as health savings accounts, employer based and free-standing walk in clinics and medical tourism become more approachable to a populace armed with massive amounts of new information and the virtual support of their social network peers.

 

Mobility is the common denominator of these changes and consumer mobility requires portable and complete health records. Portability implies standards for both content and privacy. Completeness requires diagnostic imaging and cost-effective, mindlessly-simple access by all the doctors, labs, clinical specialists and supports that make up the 21st century care team.

 

The PHRs associated with these announcements do not address the technology and functionality that would be implied by their promoter's success. Revolutions imply a fundamental shift. In health care the fundamental shift will be driven by networking of the most private information among both traditional and new service providers. Portable health records are an essential ingredient for a health care revolution, along with advances in medical technology, social networking and accessible content. This week's announcements promise more accessible content and hope for success in social networking but they represent nothing new in the area of portable, complete health records or in support of innovative medical technology.