"This research is a wake-up call to the health insurance industry to start untethering much of the online tools and services they've tied to stand-alone member self-service portals and weave them into the consumer's daily digital world," said Chad Pomeroy, vice president for Innovation and eBusiness at WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health benefits company, with about 35 million members in its affiliated health plans.

"That's why WellPoint is working with Microsoft to make health information more accessible and available," Pomeroy said. "We're exploring several opportunities with Microsoft that would allow our members to quickly and easily access their healthcare information to make more informed decisions. We hope to share these innovations with our members later this year."

"Patients who take an active role in their healthcare are more likely to receive the best care possible from their doctor," said Ted Epperly, MD, president, American Academy of Family Physicians. "When patients and their personal physicians work together and involve technologies that empower them to improve their health habits, they can lower their health risks and self-manage chronic conditions. It's critical for providers, patients, and public and private payers to work as a team to improve health, wellbeing and outcomes at the individual and community levels. Such collaboration would help control the runaway rate of medical costs that keeps health coverage beyond the financial means of many Americans."