The Model PHR for Public

New York City Health/Mental Hygiene, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

An essential public health service function is to inform, educate and empower people about health issues.[unreadable] This has traditionally been accomplished through health educational resources such as brochures and[unreadable] videos, media advocacy and social marketing, and health promotion program partnerships with communitybased[unreadable] organizations. However, public health messages and health promotion activities are increasingly[unreadable] drowned out. Patients are increasingly able to access vast but often unreliable sources of medical and[unreadable] health advice online, and are bombarded by often contradictory health messages through the media. On-line[unreadable] personal health records offer the transformative potential of being able to personalize health education to the[unreadable] individual patient's demographic characteristics, specifically age and gender, and medical conditions, along[unreadable] with decision support tools that can synthesize a great deal of medical knowledge into discrete and[unreadable] actionable recommendations. It also helps address the fragmented nature of our current healthcare system[unreadable] allowing for improved health outcomes and patient-centered medicine.[unreadable] In Project 1, our goal is to inform the development of a model of the Personal Health Record (PHR) that[unreadable] incorporates public health priorities and cognitive research to empower patients to access evidence-based[unreadable] clinical preventive services. To this end, we will:[unreadable] 1) Seek to understand the attitudes and beliefs held by consumers that influence general privacy and[unreadable] confidentiality concerns; perceived benefits to and harm from health information technology; barriers and[unreadable] drivers towards their use of a PHR; and their experience with access and utilization of a PHR;[unreadable] 2) Conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluations of three large-scale implementations of PHRs in New[unreadable] York City. We will explore the meaning and purpose of each of the PHRs for patients, providers, and[unreadable] sponsoring institutions, describe the content requirements of a public health-oriented PHR, evaluate the[unreadable] usability of different formats, determine levels of consumer satisfaction and privacy concerns, assess the[unreadable] influence of the PHR on patient-provider communication, and determine the effects of the PHR on consumer[unreadable] knowledge and health seeking behavior. Using the results of the evaluations we will be able to provide[unreadable] constructive suggestions for the format, content, and/or user interface of future iterations of PHRs.[unreadable]