Implementing an Interoperable Personal Health Record in Pediatrics: Lessons Learned at an Academic Children's...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Pediatric Healthcare
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Electronic medical records (EMR) are central to healthcare delivery but often lack patient accessibility.
• Personal health records (PHR) aim to empower patients with their health information, but interoperability remains a challenge.
• Integrating EMRs with PHRs can enhance patient engagement and improve health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a bidirectional link between an academic children's hospital's EMR and a commercial PHR.
• To empower pediatric patients and families to actively manage their health information.
• To assess the feasibility and challenges of implementing an interoperable PHR in a pediatric academic medical center.

Main Methods:

• Development of a health information technology enabling bidirectional data flow between EMR and PHR systems.
• Implementation within an academic children's hospital setting.
• Analysis of implementation challenges, focusing on operational and cultural aspects.

Main Results:

• Successful creation of a bidirectional link between the EMR and a commercially available, interoperable PHR.
• Identified operational and cultural challenges as more significant than technological ones.
• Demonstrated technical and cultural achievability of an interoperable PHR in a pediatric academic medical center.

Conclusions:

• Interoperable personal health records are technically and culturally feasible in pediatric academic medical centers.
• Addressing complex social, cultural, and organizational contexts is crucial for successful PHR implementation.
• Empowering patients and families through accessible health information can lead to improved health outcomes.