Internet-based patient information systems: what are they, why are they here, how will they be used, and will they...

Web-based patient information systems are an emerging tool in the drive towards improving efficiency and effectiveness of health care. Providers and health plans may be able to achieve three key objectives with these systems: improve the health status of patients, improve marketing programs, and reduce costs. To discover what we know about these systems, we examine how they perform today, review the trends that are shaping their development, present a case study of a large East Coast HMO, and postulate future trends.