Accessibility of patient health information is a very sensitive issue and security is the greatest impediment to the overall penetration of information technology in the healthcare system.
In his New Year message on the NHS, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown stood up for the need for available patient information pointing out that not only can patients with long-term and chronic conditions play a more active role in managing their own condition, but also healthy people benefit from information regarding potential health risks and prevention methods.

Some doctors have already turned the ideas into reality. Dr. Amir Hannan, from Hyde, Chesire, enables more than 300 patients to view their records over the internet. They can see their full consultation record and use websites such as www.labtestsonline.org.uk and www.besttreatments.bmj.com to find out more.

Another GP who has given his patients Internet access to their records is Dr. Richard Fitton from Derbyshire; he sees it as an opportunity to provide more health information than possible in a typical ten minute consultation.

The popularity of such patients' networking communities as Patient Information Forum (PiF), Patient Opinion and Horsesmouth proves people want to be involved and educated about their health. Sharing their experiences, patients themselves create medical knowledge. The pool of information, experiences and ideas can give a patient confidence to question a doctor when discussing conditions and treatment, although some might scare themselves with an inaccurate self-diagnosis,

Additionally, the UK government has invested in help lines (NHS Direct and NHS24) offering self-care advice for cases when an immediate appointment with a professional is not possible.

However, technology-based patient support systems in no way replace personal interaction with a professional, nor are they meant to do so. But a cost-effective way to deliver the right information to the right place and at the right time would be of enormous value to the conventional healthcare system and technology can provide the means.