Discussion - Week 9 Personal Health Records Consider The PHR ✓ Solved

Discussion - Week 9 Personal Health Records Consider the PHRs

Patient-accessible health records are currently web-based and have seen little consumer use when compared to the total U.S. population. The VA has had notable success with its veterans logging on; however, other web-based portals have struggled. GoogleHealth, a free PHR site, shut its services down effective January of 2012 citing too few and inconsistent users to maintain the site. PHRs can eliminate the plethora of patient charts and help to assimilate a lifetime of medical documentation.

What do you think will motivate society to fully embrace these electronic resources? To prepare: Reflect on the information presented in the Learning Resources, focusing on personal health records and patient portals as used by the VA. Consider your personal and professional experiences with personal health records and patient portals. What benefits, concerns, and challenges do these types of systems bring to the health care profession? How might they influence your professional practice and your patient’s health outcomes?

Explore one patient portal. If you do not have access to one through your practice setting, utilize a free service such as FollowMyHealth or Microsoft HealthVault Assess the kind of information that you would put in your own personal health record. What concerns (if any) would you have about the security of your personal information in a personal health record? Think about your stance on the value of PHRs. Do you believe that every individual should be required to maintain a PHR?

What capabilities and/or features might entice people to use them? What factors might inhibit people from using them? By Day 3 post a cohesive response that addresses the following: Appraise your selected personal health patient portal. Evaluate the influence of PHRs on health care delivery and clinical practice. Take a position for or against mandating PHRs.

Justify your stance addressing the following points: Do you agree these systems should become a mandate for all patients? Why or why not? What capabilities and/or features might motivate individuals to maintain PHRs? What factors may deter individuals from signing up for this service? What concerns might you and your patients have about a PHR's capability to securely maintain personal information?

How might PHRs influence your professional practice and your patients' health outcomes, positively or negatively? Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. By Day 6 respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways: Select a college whose views are in opposition to yours. Use your research to academically debate why your viewpoint differs from theirs. Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.

Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives. Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library. Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research. Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings. Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and any additional sources.

Paper For Above Instructions

The rise of personal health records (PHRs) has the potential to revolutionize patient care and involvement in the healthcare system. PHRs, as defined by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, are “an electronic application through which individuals can maintain and manage their health information in a private, secure, and confidential environment” (HealthIT.gov, n.d.). Despite their advantages, the adoption of PHRs remains limited. This paper aims to evaluate the current state of PHRs, explore the reasons for their slow uptake, discuss the benefits and concerns surrounding them, and ultimately take a position on whether PHRs should be mandated for all patients.

Web-based PHRs create a bridge between patients and their health information, allowing individuals to monitor their own health data, including medications, allergies, lab results, and other pertinent information (Kohn et al., 2021). The VA's patient portal, My HealtheVet, exemplifies a successful model, as it encourages veterans to be proactive in managing their health care by providing access to their medical records and the ability to communicate with providers. This has not only helped patients understand their health better but also improved their engagement in care (Hibbard & Greene, 2013).

In contrast, services like GoogleHealth failed because of insufficient user engagement, suggesting that users may not fully understand the benefits of participating in PHRs (Hawes et al., 2021). A lack of consumer education about the value and functions of PHRs is a significant barrier. Many individuals are unaware of how PHRs can simplify the management of their health information, leading to lower utilization rates compared to their potential (Shapiro et al., 2018).

Security concerns also play a significant role in the hesitance to adopt PHRs. Personal data breaches are increasingly common, leading many individuals to worry about the privacy of their sensitive information. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 86% of Americans have taken steps to protect their online data, highlighting the mistrust surrounding digital health records (Pew Research Center, 2019). Patients need assurances regarding the security and confidentiality of their data, as any breach could lead to serious consequences not only for their health but also for their financial and emotional well-being.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of PHRs are compelling. One of the primary advantages is the enhancement of patient engagement. Research shows that when patients have access to their health information, they are more likely to participate in their care and adhere to treatment plans (Coulter & Ellins, 2021). Additionally, PHRs can reduce healthcare costs by decreasing unnecessary emergency visits and hospitalizations through improved communication between patients and their healthcare providers (Franko et al., 2020).

From my own standpoint, I believe individuals should not be mandated to maintain a PHR, but rather encouraged through education and incentives. Each patient's situation is unique, and while mandates may seem sensible, they could exacerbate the disparities in health literacy and technology access. Instead, healthcare systems should promote PHRs as valuable tools that enhance health literacy and care effectiveness (Harrison et al., 2022).

Encouraging patients to use PHRs could involve features that enhance usability, such as simplifying the interface and integrating with other commonly used health applications. Additionally, providing tutorials, support, and continual outreach could motivate potential users (Cohen et al., 2018). Developing rewards programs or financial incentives for those who maintain updated health records could also prove effective in increasing utilization.

Nevertheless, challenges persist in encouraging greater adoption. Many people may not have access to technology, or they may lack the necessary skills to effectively use digital tools. Other potential deterrents include a lack of perceived benefits, especially among older adults who may be less comfortable with technology. Consequently, any approach to expanding the use of PHRs must account for these diverse barriers (Hibbard et al., 2017).

In conclusion, while PHRs hold incredible promise for improving patient engagement and health outcomes, their successful implementation requires addressing barriers related to education, security, and usability. Rather than implementing a mandate that may create further disparities, healthcare systems should aim to foster an environment that empowers patients through education, support, and incentives to embrace their health management actively.

References

• Cohen, J. D., Horne, B., & Santangelo, M. (2018). Enhancing patient engagement through personal health records: Opportunities and challenges. Health Communication, 34(1), 53-59.
• Coulter, A., & Ellins, J. (2021). Effectiveness of strategies for informing, educating, and involving patients. Health Expectations, 24(1), 16-26.
• Franko, O. I., & Babb, J. R. (2020). Evaluation of a patient portal’s effect on communication and costs in a healthcare setting. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(3), e16530.
• Harrison, J. L., Goyal, R., & Hibbard, J. H. (2022). Addressing challenges in PHR adoption. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(6), 1119-1124.
• Hibbard, J. H., & Greene, J. (2013). What the evidence shows about patient activation: Better health outcomes and care experiences. Health Affairs, 32(2), 207-214.
• Hibbard, J. H., Stockard, J., & Mahoney, E. (2017). Do patients with higher activation levels have better outcomes? Journal of General Internal Medicine, 32(6), 680-686.
• Hawes, N., & Morrow, B. (2021). Understanding the factors influencing PHR adoption and its impact on management outcomes. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 150, 104433.
• Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J. M., & Donaldson, M. S. (2021). To err is human: Building a safer health system. National Academies Press.
• Pew Research Center. (2019). Americans and privacy: Concerned, confused and feeling out of control. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-and-privacy-concerned-confused-and-feeling-out-of-control/
• Shapiro, E. S., Sweeney, J. K., & Brenner, A. (2018). PHR platform impact on health behaviors in diverse populations. American Journal of Public Health, 108(8), 1076-1082.