Personal health records: definitions, benefits, and strategies for overcoming barriers to adoption
Recently there has been a remarkable upsurge in activity surrounding
the adoption of personal health record (PHR) systems for patients and
consumers. The biomedical literature does not yet adequately describe
the potential capabilities and utility of PHR systems. In addition, the
lack of a proven business case for widespread deployment hinders PHR
adoption. In a 2005 working symposium, the American Medical Informatics
Association's College of Medical Informatics discussed the issues
surrounding personal health record systems and developed
recommendations for PHR-promoting activities. Personal health record
systems are more than just static repositories for patient data; they
combine data, knowledge, and software tools, which help patients to
become active participants in their own care. When PHRs are integrated
with electronic health record systems, they provide greater benefits
than would stand-alone systems for consumers. This paper summarizes the
College Symposium discussions on PHR systems and provides definitions,
system characteristics, technical architectures, benefits, barriers to
adoption, and strategies for increasing adoption.
Journal
J Am Med Inform Assoc
Publication Year
2006
Publication Month
Mar-Apr
Volume
13
Issue
2
Page Number
121-6
Category