If the idea of online health records is exciting to you -- being able to access your child's information and health history, and share it with selected professionals with the click of a mouse -- you may be frustrated because the power to get that started remains entirely in the hands of doctors, and they're not in a big hurry. Here's one place, then, where individuals -- patients or parents -- can take the lead. SugarStats allows diabetics to enter their blood sugar levels and other relevant statistics into an online database that spits out charts, graphs, lists, and other powerful ways to view, track, and share the information.
Both free and paid memberships are available to users over the age of 13. Maybe you have too much computer anxiety to use something this flashy to follow your kid's stats, but it might be a great way to get a Web-savvy teenager excited about self-care. The stats can be shared with up to three outsiders on a free membership, so if there's any concern, your child's doctor can take a look. And maybe get the idea that online records are kind of cool.