PHR portal could improve chronic disease management | Healthcare IT News

BROOKLYN, NY – Although the Internet age has improved American lives in many areas, researchers writing in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informaticssay healthcare still lags behind. Use of a personal health recordportal offers potential to gain ground – particularly in chronic diseasemanagement. 

Researchers Chif Umejei and Daniel Wiafe of the Department of MedicalInformatics State University of New York, Brooklyn, say thatself-management of chronic disease, such as diabetes, high bloodpressure, cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) canimprove patient health and reduce hospital visits. Disease managementitself can be significantly improved by using current technologicaladvancements such as the Internet and digitized personal health records,they say.

They point out that although PHRs have been used to store patientclinical history, coupling their use to disease management could makecapable patients more active participants in their healthcare.

Currently, a PHR will contain the following information about apatient, which is usually accessible to healthcare workers and may alsobe available to caregivers and the patient themselves.

• Identification sheet - registration form with contact and insurance details
• Problem list - the patient's significant illnesses and operations
• Medication record - medicines prescribed and medication allergies
• History and physical - major illnesses and surgery, significant family history, health habits, and current medications; physician's findings on examination
• Progress notes - notes made by the healthcare workers on observations and treatment plans
• Consultation - healthcare worker opinions about health conditions
• Physician's orders - directions to other healthcare workers regarding medication, tests, diet, and treatment

Other entries might include X-ray and imaging reports, laboratoryresults, immunization records, consent forms and details of hospitalvisits.

For patients with a chronic disease, there is a need for continuedpatient education as well as ongoing documentation of symptoms,medication and side effects, the above summary of PHR opens up manypossibilities for two-conversation between patient and healthcareworkersm, say researchers. 

"With computer technology there is the opportunity to provide dynamicdata communication and real-time patient education specifically at thepoint of care," the research team writes, noting that its survey ofhealthcare workers and patients suggests that demand for a PHRportal-type system would be high, yet no current implementations fulfillthe various demands.

A healthcare portal that utilizes PHRs would improve the dialoguebetween patient and healthcare worker and so could improve patienthealth overall, the team concludes. Such an application "provides anopportunity to facilitate communications as well as make the consumer anactive part in the management of their care."