Kaiser Permanente pilots Microsoft health data Web site

Kaiser Permanente has announced plans to allow its employees to transfer their electronic health records to Microsoft’s HealthVault health information Web site. (Source: “Microsoft, Kaiser test managing health data,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 10, 2008).

Kaiser’s 156,000 employees, including 1,800 in Ohio, will be eligible to participate in the pilot program. If the pilot goes well, the company said it may open the program to its 8 million members nationwide. About 2 million patients currently access clinical information, from test results to digital X-rays online via Kaiser's personal health records system. Microsoft launched HealthVault in October. It enables users to use one Web site to access, control and share their health information from many care providers.