IBM puts workers' health records online

In one big step towards electronic medical records, IBM announced it would let employees volunteer to have their health records available online.

The company's roughly 133,000 workers in the United States will have the option to enroll in the online-information system, IBM said in a memo scheduled to be sent to employees early on Wednesday. They can also sign up their dependents.

 . . .  "The long-term goal for electronic health records is to make patient data securely available to health care providers such as hospitals and emergency personnel, when and where the information is needed," IBM said in the memo.