So if I lay down on top of my computer, is it somehow going to make me healthy?  Or maybe if I spend 8 hours a day doing health related Google, Yahooo, MSN or some other search engine searches, will that make me more e-healthy?  Perhaps if I stick my hand in the VCR and push play, that will give me a nice jolt of Electronic Health?

The answer is "D." None of the above.

E-health is one of those terms we hear all the time, but maybe aren't quite sure what it is.  The expression driving me nuts lately is "filibuster-proof Congress," which has something to do with the Democrats picking up Senate seats in Georgia and Minnesota and as a result generally being able to kick the Republican's butts all over the place, but beyond that, I'm clueless.

So what is E-Health? Simply put, e-health is just digital medical records.  Oh, and by the way, we'll de-mystify "HIPAA" during the course of this rant as well.

And why should we care about e-Health?

A couple of reasons.  On the positive side; Efficiency.  E-health, well executed can reduce administration time of health records and also improve the accuracy and breadth of records which will generate time (=cost) savings and cost savings from improperly administered health care (screw-ups by doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners).  Reduced screw-ups also lead to healthier you and me's. 

On the negative side; Privacy.  A person's health records are very personal.  When digitized and floated out into the great and vast cyberspace you want to know they are secure.  Hey, it's uncomfortable enough when you go to the doctor and basically have to expose yourself.  The last thing I want to have happen to me (with the possible exception of being coated in honey and dropped on fire ant mound in the hot summer Georgia sun) is to have my every tick, rash, and phobia exposed for the world (including insurance companies, hospitals, employers, friends and freaks) to see.

So what is HIPAA?  HIAPA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.  Huh?  You probably hear this bandied about in the context of your medical records and what it is, is legislation that makes it illegal for doctors and hospitals to provide private medical information to third parties without your consent.