In a rare instance of public dissent, an American Health Information Community (AHIC) workgroup split over whether to recommend that product certification be available for personal health record software.

AHIC, a high-level advisory committee to the Department of Health and Human Services, sided with the majority on its Consumer Empowerment Workgroup and voted unanimously in favor of the certification recommendation. A minority -- five members of the 23-person workgroup -- took the position that certification would be premature and the top priority should be privacy and security policies for PHRs.