What will be the main challenges you will have to overcome with the trials? One of the things that will be critical will be to ensure the secure exchange of data as appropriate. That would include other health information exchanges and some specialty networks, and ensuring that the developing personal health record activities are integrated into that picture. [Other challenges will include] the use and fostering of secure and standards-based data exchange between health exchanges and to connect in personal health records of individuals as they desire to do so -- and to, obviously, connect the different health care provider sites.

The task of connecting the many different networks and systems is still daunting because standards are not yet completely implemented in all systems. Frequently these types of [health exchange] groups have to... transform data. That is challenging.