There has been a big push among health care reform advocates on both the left and the right to force health care providers and others to put health care records online. While there is a lot to be said for electronic records, the marketplace, not government agencies, should provide the impetus for the move to such a shift.

According to a recent AP article, that is now being done due to ever-lower costs associated with computer technology. Rather than relying on doctors or insurance companies to maintain records, individuals are increasingly using electronic "personal health records" to keep control of their own health care and ensure that each time they are treated, their records follow them and are updated. This also gives patients increased privacy.

While record-keeping is a small part of the health care reform puzzle, the shift to individual record-keeping makes sense and provides a model for other reforms. Only by restoring individual control can we reduce costs and improve quality.