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A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites
Unlike some of my colleagues, I’m not losing ANY sleep over whether personal health record (PHR) systems ultimately will be adopted and used by patients.
In my mind, the issue isn’t WHETHER, but WHEN.
Yes, I know that adoption has lagged and that surveys suggest 7% or less of the U.S. population has used a PHR.
Stay with me on this one for a minute. You’d have to have two underlying beliefs to conclude that PHR systems won’t eventually emerge:
- That health record data will persist in non-electronic formats, i.e., paper
- That people won’t have interest in accessing or using their health record data
Please think about this a moment. If you truly believe PHRs will continue to remain a non-starter, then you MUST logically believe in one or both of these assumptions.
I for one believe both of the statements are false. Health care is destined to join the rest of the world economy in digitizing data. People will want electronic access to their digital health data. Period.
HOW will people want to access their health record data? That’s a different question — and a fair one. It might not be with what we think of as a PHR today — but whatever you imagine as the technological answer becomes the PHR system of the future.
Again, I’m not losing sleep wondering WHETHER PHR systems will be adopted, but I do spend a lot of time thinking about the evolution from today’s technology to tomorrow’s technology.
WHEN will PHR systems be adopted?
…when they provide sufficient VALUE to patients.
Notice that I keep saying “PHR systems”, not just PHR? What’s the difference?
RWJF Project Health Design has a great paper describing the evolution of PHRs to PHR systems.
- Think of a first generation PHR as simply a repository — a bucket — where people store health record information. There’s some value here, but it just scratches the surface.
- Think of a second generation PHR system as an integrated platform and applications. Not only can you access your health record, but the applications provide useful ways to conduct transactions with care providers and to manage and improve your health. That’s value
…and fortunately we already have great examples of PHR systems that provide value. Kaiser’s PHR system has over 35% adoption among it’s members and Group Health Cooperative is at over 60%.
To see what I’m talking about, check out Kaiser’s PHR system — My health manager. It’s not just a bucket of information — it’s a platform with applications. You can exchange email with your physician, make appointments, see test results, review your plan benefits…that’s a “PHR system” that’s providing VALUE today.
As noted by science fiction writer William Gibson,
“The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.”
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Feel free to republish this post with attribution.
A Rebuttal to #PHR Luddites. http://bit.ly/eAYYFT #EHR #HealthIT
With PHRs, as @VinceKuraitis puts it "the issue isn’t WHETHER, but WHEN" http://bit.ly/eAYYFT #EHR #hitsm
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://goo.gl/fb/PY4mE #HIT #HealthIT
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites | e-CareManagement Blog http://dlvr.it/PPd0P
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://bit.ly/fhYbWx
Very insightful when you put it that way.
Yes, data will move to electronic formats and yes, people will want to use that data.
I’m not losing sleep over this, either. I am working to help put the pieces together so that people can access their data.
Part Deux: A Rebuttal to #PHR Luddites. http://bit.ly/eEfu0b. Part One at http://bit.ly/eAYYFT #HealthIT #EHR
IMO the pivotal sentence in this post is “It’s not just a bucket of information — it’s a platform with applications.” I’m gonna go post about it… brb with a linkback.
RT @VinceKuraitis: A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://bit.ly/fdBR5T
Mark, appreciate your good words.
e-Patient Dave indeed followed up with a blog post of his own at e-Patients.net: “Not just a bucket of information — a platform with applications.”
http://e-patients.net/archives/2011/04/not-just-a-bucket-of-information-%e2%80%94-a-platform-with-applications.html
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://bit.ly/ehBlKB #PHR #healthcare
Your right Vince! It’s not “if” but “when” and is facilitated through educating the clinicians and patients!
Right now, personally, I am experiencing a lot of hassle collecting medical records – phase 1. Personal physician has no problem giving me “print-outs” from the EMR they have (Uggh, scan, scan, scan!).
During a recent hospital stay at 2 different hospitals I was transfered between (not using the same EMR so CT reports from 1st hospital was “faxed” (I was told) to the 2nd hospital) information had to be collected from 3 different places. 1st hospital had 2 places: x-ray department and patient records and 2nd hospital was just patient records department that I had to get my records from.
Now from the 2 hospitals I have paper reports plus “2” CDs with CT scans that have a viewer from the same source company but can’t read each other’s files. THEN, I wanted to try adding these files to a single PHR USB memory stick, which I was finally able to transfer, but I can’t read then off the stick!
If I too wasn’t working to help find a solution, I too would have given up long time ago.
Thanks and have a blessed day.
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://t.co/TVNQfVK
PHRs: not whether but when RT @merijnm: A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://bit.ly/ehBlKB #PHR #relayhealth
PHRs vs PHR Systems
I am a digital person. I want to access everything possible via digital access. So it makes sense to me to have a PHR system where I can not only access health records but be able to get prescriptions, schedule appointments and more. It will happen, but the question really is when will it become an everyday use for people.
We have to educate people to accept modern technology. We also need to have role models. Practice what we preach.
Thank you
Marie Conrad
A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://t.co/YMCiIyK there's also a part 2. Don't miss it!
RT @Mike_Korinthos: A Rebuttal to PHR Luddites http://t.co/YMCiIyK there's also a part 2. Don't miss it!