Free Web-based personal health records: an analysis of functionality

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Empowerment

Background:

• Personal Health Records (PHRs) are increasingly available online.
• Assessing the functionality of free Web-based PHRs is essential for user adoption and effective health management.
• Existing PHRs vary significantly in features and capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and assess the functionality of free Web-based PHRs.
• To evaluate health information management, user actions, and tool interoperability.
• To guide users in selecting appropriate PHRs based on their needs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of Medline, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Digital Library, and ScienceDirect.
• Identification and selection of 19 free Web-based PHRs from an initial pool of 47.
• Assessment of 28 predefined functions across the selected PHRs.

Main Results:

• No free Web-based PHR met all 28 assessed functions.
• Significant variability exists in data types and functionalities offered.
• Only half of the PHRs provided physician user actions, and few could connect with other tools.
• Approximately 90% allowed global profile creation without geographical restrictions.

Conclusions:

• Current free Web-based PHRs have functional gaps impacting their utility, especially for patients with chronic conditions.
• Standardized medical formats and protocols are necessary for seamless data exchange.
• PHR functionality, not just the number of features, influences adoption and usability.