We have commented many times before that the whole idea of a USB-based (thumbdrive) PHR is simply a dumb idea.
Read the post to see why they think that.
Our joint has disabled the USB ports on the boxes, so I don’t know what we’d do if a patient presented us with a USB PHR.
The idea of letting health care consumers take control of their own records is an interesting one. The post you link to rejects it on purely technological grounds, neglecting to analyze its potential advantages.
The technological objections could be overcome with sufficiently secure system software. Just because Windows is crap you should not reject a potentially beneficial idea.
Which falls into the ‘if only we lived in a different world with a different reality, this would be a good idea’.
Reality: the vast majority of hospitals are Windows based, and aren’t taking any chances. As we’re now essentially dependent on the computer systems, I wouldn’t even want to take a chance.
I suppose if I wanted to support this technology, you’d need a computer cut off from all networking, to contain an infection. But then it wouldn’t get any updates, making it increasingly vulnerable.