President Bush established a Health IT (Health Information Technology) initiative in 2003 to make our paper-clogged health-care system more efficient through the use of computers.1 The government has spent more than $1 billion to expand health information technology since then, but the private sector has recently taken impressive strides to streamline Health IT on its own.

The contents of portable health records could include information about a patient’s medications and dosages, medical test results, health-insurance information, family medical history, immunizations, allergies, and surgeries. According to a survey last November of 1,003 Americans nationwide, two-thirds said they were interested in accessing health records online. More than two-thirds of survey respondents said having such information online would give people more control of their health care. Regrettably, many Americans also believe that Health IT is the responsibility of the government.

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