Introduction
PHR is a vital healthcare system that has gained popularity in health set ups over the recent years (Tang et al., 2016). The history of PHR is relatively short but has been a remarkable healthcare catalyst that has come handy with the advent of IT. For the past couple of decades, patient engagement in the management of their health records has been relatively minimal. Thankfully, the innovation has integrated accordingly with IT thus boosting the level of patient information management to a higher level. Unlike medical records that are managed and maintained by health providers, a PHR is run by the patients themselves. The technology has proved pivotal in as far as creating a sustainable healthcare community is concerned. Moreover, the technological system is also significant because it is unquestionably clear that health information that is documented by patients themselves is more accurate compared to any other piece of health record (Kaelber & Pan, 2012).
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Type of data that is managed by PHR
A PHR is a crucial tool that people need to track their health records and history (Roblin et al., 2013). Health information such as the medical assessment records of the patients, medication and immunization records are examples of the data that the patients can monitor using the PHR. For decades, poor management of patient data has been the primary cause of medical errors in hospital environments. Happily, PHR has proved pivotal in creating a nursing environment where the patients are provided with the opportunities of taking part in the monitoring of their health progress. Accordingly, patient data provides the foundational platform for the delivery of different forms of treatments to the patients. It is also from the patients’ data that the healthcare providers are referred to the drawing board before advising their patients about the health course that they should take (Tang et al., 2016).
The use of PHR in the real world setting
Microsoft’s Health Vault and Dossia are amongst the popular PHR offerings in the market (Kupchunas, 2011). Despite the fact that the innovations have not received good reception amongst the members of the public, initiatives are being developed to improve its use and consequently bolstering public awareness about their significance. In addition to that, research studies are also being designed to help improve the privacy information of the patients. Other initiatives such as the current reimbursement barriers that have been associated with the technology have also been brought into the light and accorded the required attention to boost patient outcome (Tang et al., 2016).
How PHR supports research
A PHR supports healthcare research in various ways (Kupchunas, 2011). For instance, the technological innovation has provided a foundational platform for conducting further healthcare research studies to improve the quality of the health services that are offered to the patients. Notably, PHR is not entirely the cure to the shortcomings that are experienced in the health systems. However, it is an extraordinary intervention measure that would alleviate the quality of health system to significant levels by empowering the patients to take part in the management of their healthcare information. A majority of research studies that are being geared down in healthcare setups are aimed at improving the relationship between the patients and the healthcare providers. Apparently, a PHR is unquestionably a significant example of the results of the research studies that are aimed at improving the relationships that exist between different healthcare stakeholders (Tang et al., 2016).
How nurses participate in the designing and use of PHR
Nurses are vital vessels in the due course of designing and ensuring that the PHR is used effectively. For example, they educate the patients about the significance of their health records and the relevance of being part of its management. They also participate in enlightening the patients about some of the complications that are associated with poor health records management thereby providing them with substantial reasons for choosing to manage their health information. Apart from educating the patients, nurses are also crucial in the designing and ensuring that the PHR has been used effectively by supplementing the designers of the technology with all the relevant information that needs to be captured. They also play crucial roles in updating the manufacturers about the impacts of the technology in the delivery of healthcare services thereby providing recommendations about the areas that need to be improved in due course (Kaelber & Pan, 2012).
How PHR should be designed to meet future needs
A PHR should be designed to capture all the important health records of the patients (Kaelber & Pan, 2012). It should also be structured in a manner that can bolster the confidence of the patients to the services that are offered in clinical set-ups. Moreover, the innovation should be made rigid to pave the way for future flexibilities to help improve its effectiveness in the future. It is also crucial that the PHR should be designed in a manner in which the patient cannot have complications of use. Finally, the PHR should be improved significantly to become efficient in the management of patients’ health data (Roblin et al., 2013).
Conclusion
To sum up, it is imperatively apparent that the PHR is a remarkable healthcare system that has improved the outcome of the patients a great deal. The technology is also cost-effective and easy to use thereby proving accessible to all the groups of people in the society. Accordingly, the healthcare system has proved pivotal in bolstering the management of health data of the patients by allowing them to monitor and record different healthcare delivery services. Evidently, the PHR is a remarkable example of the effects of technology in the improvement of health services in the contemporary society (Kupchunas, 2011).
- Kaelber, D., & Pan, E. C. (2012). The value of personal health record (PHR) systems. In AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings (Vol. 2008, p. 343). American Medical Informatics Association.
- Kupchunas, W. R. (2011). Personal health record: new opportunity for patient education. Orthopaedic Nursing, 26(3), 185-191.
- Roblin, D. W., Houston, T. K., Allison, J. J., Joski, P. J., & Becker, E. R. (2013). Disparities in use of a personal health record in a managed care organization. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association,16(5), 683-689.
- Tang, P. C., Ash, J. S., Bates, D. W., Overhage, J. M., & Sands, D. Z. (2016). Personal health records: definitions, benefits, and strategies for overcoming barriers to adoption. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 13(2), 121-126.
