Question

Your Medical Center is implementing electronic health records and plans to support personal health records as well. You have been asked to speak to a group of unit managers related to the federal government’s programs that support the creation and maintenance of these types of digital records. Summarize the key points you would make to this group on the role of PHRs in value-driven healthcare.

Answer 1

PERSONAL HEALTH RECORDS(PHR)

• A PHR ia an electronic record of an individual's health information by which the individual controls access to the information and may have the ability to manage ,track, and participate in his or her own healthcare.
• A PHR should not be confused with an electronic health record

ROLE OF PHRs IN VALUE DRIVEN HEALTH CARE

• Personal health records can help the patients better manage care.
• Having important health information such as immunization records, lab results and screening due dates in electronic form makes it easy for patients to update and share their records.
• PHR can improve patient engagement: When the patients can track their health over time and have information and tools to manage their health, they can be more engaged in their health and health care
• Coordinate and combine information from multiple providers: PHRs can promote better healthcare by helping the patients manage information from various providers and improve care coordination
• Help to ensure patient information is available: Online PHRs can ensure the patients infirmation is available in emergencies and when the patients are travelling
• Reduce Administrative costs: Organization can reduce administrative costs by using a PHR to provide patients with easy access to electronic prescription refill and appointment scheduling applications.
• With PHRs , the staff can spend less time searching for patient requested information and responding to patient questions.
• E nhance patient-provider communication: Many PHRs allow direct, secure communication between patients and providers.
• PHRs can make communicating with the patients faster and easier
• Encourage family health management: Having a system for tracking and updating health care information can help caregivers such as those caring for young children, elderly parents and coordinate with to improve health care quality