title: Patients with chronic kidney disease and their intent to use electronic personal health records.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic personal health records (ePHRs) provide patients with access to their personal health information, aiming to inform them about their health, enhance self-management, and improve outcomes. Although they have been associated with improved health outcomes in several chronic diseases, the potential impact of ePHR use in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to understand perceptions of CKD patients about ePHRs, and describe characteristics associated with their expressed intent to use an ePHR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered paper based survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at a multidisciplinary CKD clinic from November 2013 to January 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographics, perceived benefits, and drawbacks of ePHRs were obtained. A univariate analysis was used to assess for an association with the expressed intention to use an ePHR.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient survey was used to determine perceptions of ePHRs, and to identify factors that were associated with intention to use an ePHR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 63 patients with CKD (76.2 % male, 55.6 % ≥65 years old) completed the survey. The majority (69.8 %) expressed their intent to use an ePHR. CKD patients over the age of 65 were less likely to intend to use an ePHR as compared to those aged <65 years (OR 0.22, 95 % CI: [0.06, 0.78]). Those with post-secondary education (OR 3.31, 95 % CI: [1.06, 10.41]) and Internet access (OR 5.70, 95 % CI: [1.64, 19.81]) were more likely to express their intent to use an ePHR. Perceived benefits of ePHR use included greater involvement in their own care (50.0 % indicated this), better access to lab results (75.8 %), and access to health information (56.5 %). Although 41.9 % reported concerns about privacy of health information, there was no association between these concerns and the intent to use an ePHR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are limited by small study size and single centre location.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that patients with CKD expressed their intention to use ePHRs, and perceive benefits such as personal involvement in their health care and better access to lab results. Studies of CKD patients using ePHRs are needed to determine whether ePHR use improves patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada.
authors.forename: Tyrone G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, T2N 4Z6 AB Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wick
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada.
authors.forename: Sofia B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada ; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, T2N 4Z6 AB Canada.
authors.forename: Braden J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Manns
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada ; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, T2N 4Z6 AB Canada.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada ; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, T2N 4Z6 AB Canada.
authors.forename: Brenda R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hemmelgarn
keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Electronic personal health record; PHR; Patient-centered care; Personal health record; ePHR