PCHIT links for December 29th through December 30th:

• News Release: Electronic Health Records Still Not Routine Part of Medical Practice, Says New Study - Link to RWJF Report with best estimates of EHR adoption. No word on PHR adoption, but good framework for considering adoption of PCHIT, too.
• The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation: Mind the Gap - A very nice set of slides looking at differences in broadband and Internet use by income, ethnicity, gender and education.
• Oncologist Communication About Emotion During Visits With Patients With Advanced Cancer — Pollak et al. 25 (36): 5748 — Journal of Clinical Oncology - Oncologists infrequently responded with “continuers” when presented with empathetic opportunities by ill patients. How could the availability of a PHR impact this - what could an anlalysis of pre-visit/post visit secure e-mail show in terms of continuers for empathetic moments?