The personal health record: consumers banking on their health.
With personal health records (PHRs) acting much like ATM cards, increasingly wired consumers can "bank on health", accessing their own personal health information and a wide array of services. Consumer-owned, the PHR is dependent upon the existence of the legal electronic medical record (EMR) and interoperability. Working PHRs are in place in Veterans Health Administration, private health care institutions, and in the commercial sector. By allowing consumers to become involved in their own care, the PHR creates new roles and relationships. New tools change the clinician's workflow and thought flow, and pose new challenges for consumers. Key components of the PHR include the EMR and regional health information organizations (RHIOs); key strategies focus on human factors in successful project management. Online resources provided by the National Library of Medicine and Health On the Net help address consumer needs for information that is reliable and understandable. The growth of self-management tools adds to the challenge and the promise of PHRs for clinicians and consumers alike.
Ball
Marion J
MJ
IBM Center for Healthcare Management, IBM Research, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA. marionball@us.ibm.com
Costin
Melinda Y
MY
Lehmann
Christoph
C
D022126:Access to Information; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006804:Ergonomics; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008499:Medical Records; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D033283:Patient Access to Records; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations