Today's Debate: Are online medical record databases good or bad?

Minnesota has become just the latest state to announce it will be putting medical records online for use by doctors and hospitals.

Many of these efforts are glorified pilots. The Minnesota exchange, for instance, is estimated to cost just $4.5 million, and includes just HealthPartners, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Medica and Allina.

Note that the first-mentioned company here is an HMO, the next two are insurers, and the third is a hospital group.

Given the limited nature of these state efforts, and the lack of EMR standards generally, it's easy to call these press releases oversold.

But are they dangerous?

Beyond the security dangers, what if these exchanges give their sponsors crucial market data they can use to roll-up a state's medical market? What if insurers start using these exchanges to deny coverage?

There are not just potential problems if such exchanges don't work. There are also potential problems if they do.

My own view is we need things like this, just as we need EMR standards, and just as we need some unity within the medical field generally.

But you tell me what I'm missing.