title: Implementation of personal health records by case managers in a VAMC general medicine clinic.
abstract: The study objective was to determine the feasibility of implementation of personal health records (PHRs) by case managers (CMs) in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Continuity of Care (COC) Clinic, to ascertain the impact of PHRs on patient access to vital health information, and to assess the effect on provider-patient communication. One hundred and fifty patients and 8 nurse CMs in the general medicine COC Clinic at the Iowa City VAMC participated in a prospective cohort study in which an intervention, implementation of PHRs, was performed in one half of the patients, selected at random by their CMs. All participants responded to questions about their personal possession of documentation of vital health information. Initially, the majority of subjects possessed poor documentation of basic health information. At follow-up, significant differences occurred between the cohort with PHRs and the cohort without in their documentation of immunizations, allergies, medications, and operations.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Iowa Health Care, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242-1081, USA. joanne-tobacman@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Joanne K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tobacman
authors.forename: Pamella
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kissinger
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prokuski
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kron-Chalupa
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019090:Case Management / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires