Question

CASE 1-25 Personal Health Record Education As the patient advocate at your facility and a member of an EHR task force, you have been asked to write a patient information sheet for the PHR your facility is rolling out through the patient portal. This is to be a one- page information sheet that defines the PHR, explains the benefits of the PHR, and tells about the PHR that your facility is offering. With the PHR, patients will have access to test results, key clinical findings, and secure e-mail to communicate with their doctors. Create this PHR information sheet. Keep in mind that it is being written for the patient to us

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Answer 1

A personal health record (PHR) is an electronic application used by patients to maintain and manage their health information in a private, secure, and confidential environment. PHRs:

• Are managed by patients
• Can include information from a variety of sources, including health care providers and patients themselves
• Can help patients securely and confidentially store and monitor health information, such as diet plans or data from home monitoring systems, as well as patient contact information, diagnosis lists, medication lists, allergy lists, immunization histories, and much more
• Are separate from, and do not replace, the legal record of any health care provider
• Are distinct from portals that simply allow patients to view provider information or communicate with providers
• Properly designed and implemented, PHRs can help patients manage their health information and become full partners in the quest for good health.

The personal health record (PHR) allows individuals to keep track of their health care information in one location. Maintaining a PHR encourages increased personal participation in healthcare and fosters a greater emphasis on communication between the individual and the caregivers. The creation of a PHR provides the opportunity for health professionals to educate patients about personal health matters and presents a tool for enhancing health literacy. As patients become more adept at communicating with their caregivers and recording important health information, the ability to participate in decision making is enhanced. Assessment of health literacy and functional ability allows the PHR to be adapted to accommodate the needs of the individual. Identification of family members or other significant individuals early on is essential, and education efforts should begin promptly. This article provides information on the benefits of a PHR. Considerations for health literacy and ability to maintain a PHR are discussed, and examples of using a transdisciplinary approach to development and implementation of a PHR are examined. With proper design and education, the PHR allows individuals to participate more fully in their own healthcare.

Benefits of Personal Health Records. For consumers, PHRs have a wide variety of potential benefits. One of the most important PHR benefits is greater patient access to a wide array of credible health information, data, and knowledge. Patients can leverage that access to improve their health and manage their diseases.

GUIDE TO CREATING A PHR
To start your personal health record, you will need to request a copy of your health records from all of your healthcare providers, including your general practitioner, plus your eye doctor, dentist, and any other specialist you have seen.
Don’t feel that you must gather all of your health information at once. If you like, the next time you visit the doctor, simply ask for recent records, and do so each time you visit a healthcare provider.

Below are steps for creating a complete personal health record (PHR), but feel free to create your PHR at your own pace.

STEP 1: Contact your doctors’ offices or the health information management (HIM) or medical records staff at each facility where you have received treatment. Find out if your provider has his or her own plan for helping patients to create PHRs. Ask if your records are in an electronic format that you can access or if you need to request copies. Also, ask your physician or the HIM professional to help you determine which parts of your record you need. If you want medical records kept by your health plan, contact the organization’s customer service department.

STEP 2: Ask for an “authorization for the release of information” form. Complete the form and return it to the facility as directed. Most facilities charge for copies. The fee can only include the cost of copying (including supplies and labor), as well as postage if you request the copy to be mailed. It can take up to 60 days to receive your medical records, so ask when you can expect to receive the information you requested.

STEP 3: Once you’ve gathered the information you are seeking, there are a few different ways to maintain your PHR. To get started, you can simply gather your information and place it in a file folder. Since not all information may be available to you in an electronic format, an old-fashioned file folder or three-ring binder may be the easiest and most inclusive format for now. You can divide the binder into sections by family members. Then within each family member’s section, divide information by year or illness.

STEP 4: There are many great PHR tools and services to help you get organized. You can transfer electronic information to a storage device, and carry that with you. Also, portable devices are available that allow you to carry information on a USB or flash drive, which plugs into most computers. Then there are Internet-based services you can access from your home computer where you can store and retrieve your health information. Some services can even help you collect the information you need from your doctors and other healthcare providers.

Some PHR tools are available free of charge and others are products you purchase or pay a subscription fee to use. You’ll need to research PHR options and decide which method is best for you.

STEP 5: Bring your PHR to all visits so you have the information with you and remember to keep adding and updating it with entries from providers, yourself, or your family member.

STEP 6: Create and carry a card that has vital information on it—such as medication needs or allergies—with you at all times. You may not always have your complete PHR with you.

STEP 7: Remember, this is your private information, so protect it and maintain confidentiality. Let trusted family members know that you are compiling it, and where you keep it, but beyond that, keep it safe and protected.

Personal health records (PHRs) enable patients to access their healthcare information in a secure environment, increasing patient engagement in medical care. PHRs can be tethered to a patient's electronic health record (EHR).

Medical record. ... The terms medical record, health record, and medical chart are used somewhat interchangeably to describe the systematic documentation of a single patient's medical history and care across time within one particular health care provider's jurisdiction.

Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of states of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The model used by our campus includes social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical wellness.

Documenting is a critical component to the delivery of healthcare. ... Ensure continuity of care as it serves as a communication tool among healthcare providers. Plan and evaluate a patient's treatment.

The terms EHR, EPR (electronic patient record) and EMR (electronic medical record) are often used interchangeably, although differences between them can be defined. ... A personal health record (PHR) is, in modern parlance, generally defined as an EHR that the individual patient controls.