The Electronic Health Record and Patient Portals in HIV Medicine Pushing the Boundaries of Current Ethics and Stigma

The electronic medical record provides an exciting opportunity to support the coordination of care by medical and social providers. Many of these systems include patient portals that allow providers to share clinical information with patients in real time. These "patient portals" provide a unique opportunity for clients and patients to access and use HIV and sexually transmitted infection information for communication with healthcare providers, with potential or actual sex partners, and for tracking their own clinical course and progress. A concerted effort to develop these should include a high level of transparency and adequate support for both patient and provider.