Personal Health Records Since 2006, the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) has been engaged in a number of pilot
projects to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to take advantage
of Personal Health Records (PHRs). These tools, usually
available through the internet, can help people track their
health care services and better communicate with their
providers. The type of Personal Health Records CMS has been
testing are populated with health information from Medicare
claims data. In the future, these records may be able to get
information from a provider's electronic health record system,
and some providers may begin to allow patients to see the
information directly from those electronic records. In general,
a Personal Health Record (PHR) is controlled by the individual,
and can be shared with others, including caregivers, family
members and providers. This is different from a provider's
electronic health record, which is controlled by the provider
just as paper medical records are today. Ideally, a Pe