Evaluation of Patient-Centered Electronic Health Record to Overcome Digital Divide

Abstract

Advances and wide acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) have made development and implementation of web-based electronic personal health records (PHRs) more feasible than ever before, and previous studies have demonstrated some of its potential and promises. However, this type of ICT-dependent approach inherits its own vulnerabilities of exposing the society to digital divide, commonly described as the gap that exists among individuals and communities with regards to the haves and have-nots of information and modern communications technologies. To address these concerns and improve healthcare outcomes, we have developed and customized a web-based patient-centered electronic PHR, named the Personal Health Information Management System (PHIMS), and evaluated the system at the Everett Housing Authority, which provides housings for low-income ncome families and elderly or disabled populations. A preliminary study demonstrates that 92% of the participating residents are satisfied with the PHIMS system in general. Some of the residents found PHIMS records very useful for their clinic visits.

Older Adult Perceptions of Smart Home Technologies: Implications for Research, Policy & Market Innovations in Healthcare

“…These range from classic questions of usability to technology equity issues that strongly suggest the existence of a digital divide between adopters and non-adopters of technology [10].…”

Digital disability divide in information society

“…Interestingly, our literature review revealed only five articles that discussed medical technology in the context of the disability divide, further highlighting the fact that medical technologies do not play a direct role in reducing the digital disability divide. All the studies were centered on a user's environment-based living enhancements (Kim et al, 2005;Chan et al, 2008).…”

Testing the Electronic Personal Health Record Acceptance Model by Nurses for Managing Their Own Health

“…The ePHR acceptance model also allows for moderating influences on the associations between the ePHR acceptance constructs and ePHR use. A large proportion of the U.S. nursing workforce is older than age 50 [62], thus we explored whether there is a "digital divide" [63] based on age that may influence the association between acceptance and ePHR use. Patients with chronic conditions who need more monitoring of their health and greater provider interaction might also have a different pattern of acceptance and ePHR use.…”