Personal health records: evaluation of functionality and utility

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Technology Evaluation
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Web-based personal health records (PHRs) are emerging tools for patient data management.
• These applications aim to provide universal access to updated medical information for patients and providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the functionality and utility of selected personal health record (PHR) applications.
• To assess the accuracy and completeness of clinical information within PHRs.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search identified eleven PHR websites for evaluation.
• Functionality was assessed using predefined criteria for data entry and display.
• Representative PHRs were created from actual case data for review.

Main Results:

• PHR data entry methods were found to limit the scope of patient-contributed information.
• The display of medical history, medications, and test results varied significantly.
• Accuracy and completeness of clinical information in generated PHRs were inconsistent.

Conclusions:

• Current PHR applications exhibit limited functionality.
• Existing data entry, validation, and display methods may hinder the accurate representation of medical information.