An Op-Ed piece at the healthcare blog, written by 2 MDs from Harvard Medical School is pretty clear!

For those of us who believe the time has come for participatory medicine, the following quote is particularly interesting:

Empowering patients should be the first step in transforming American healthcare. The central question that policy makers should be asking is if we are missing something by leaving patients out of the current discussion. From our perspective we’re missing an important opportunity to engage patients, set a new standard for personal responsibility, and provide with them with the tools to make better decisions. Perhaps more importantly, a provider-centered approach to health information technology reflects an antiquated model of medical care where full responsibility for a patient’s health is placed on providers. For patients like … this is simply not enough. [Emphasis Added]