Developing a shared electronic health record for patients and clinicians

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Improving patient-provider communication and equitable health information access are key policy goals.
• Current systems often lack seamless integration and context-aware tools for patients.
• The need for secure, accessible digital health platforms is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test CONNECT, a patient portal designed to enhance shared decision making (SDM) and patient-provider communication.
• To integrate communication and information tools within a shared electronic health record accessible via heterogeneous networks.
• To address data security, user interface adaptability, and efficient data transfer challenges.

Main Methods:

• Interdisciplinary and international research collaboration.
• Development and testing of the CONNECT patient portal.
• Focus on safeguarding data security, confidentiality, and adapting user interfaces.
• Ensuring safe and efficient data transfer across heterogeneous networks.

Main Results:

• The paper details the methods for CONNECT development and implementation.
• Strategies for data security, confidentiality, and user interface adaptation are presented.
• Critical success factors and challenges encountered during development are identified.

Conclusions:

• CONNECT offers a novel approach to integrating patient communication and information tools.
• The portal aims to improve SDM and patient-provider communication through secure, accessible technology.
• Addressing technical and user-centered challenges is crucial for successful digital health implementation.