Personal health records are designed for people like us.
Current approaches to designing, implementing and evaluating personal health record systems reflect the attributes and assumptions of well-educated and well to-do users (People like Us: PLUs) rather than the needs of the most disadvantaged in society (the disempowered, disengaged and disconnected: DDDs). These electronic systems for increasing accessibility to personal health information may accentuate rather than mitigate the emerging eHealth divide. Using a PubMed review of literature on personal health record systems, we identified only seven of 73 papers, and one of 29 abstracts which made specific mention of users who were disadvantaged by low literacy levels or difficulties with access to technology. This work is part of a larger study into personal health records and disadvantage.
eHealth Services Research Group, University of Tasmania.
Chris
C
Showell
Paul
P
Turner
D003197:Computer Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016239:MEDLINE / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062527:Meaningful Use / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012984:Software / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012985:Software Design; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*