From the report: "Modern information technology is
changing and provides new challenges to health care. The emergence of the
Internet and the electronic health record (EHR) has brought new opportunities
for patients to play a more active role in his/her care. Although in many
countries patients have the right to access their clinical information, access
to clinical records electronically is not common. Patient portals consist of
provider-tethered applications that allow patients to electronically access
health information that are documented and managed by a health care
institution. Although patient portals are already being implemented, it is still
unclear in which ways these technologies can influence patient care." Read more
