Developing a framework for meaningful use of personal health records (PHRs)

Significant advancements have been made in the technological development of the personal health record (PHR). The goal of the PHR is to encourage patients and health consumers to take individual responsibility for their health by being more engaged in the health care process through the use of the PHR. Many PHR applications are extensions of the electronic health record (EHR) and have limited patient input in their design. As more patients and health consumers use PHRs, there is an increasing need to understand the ways in which patients or health consumers use them. The major objective of this paper is to introduce a framework for understanding meaningful use of PHRs and to discuss the associated challenges that may impede meaningful use. The primary challenges that may hinder meaningful use of PHRs relate to health system challenges such as health care regulatory and managerial policies and multiple institutional, societal, cultural, and economic issues. Additional challenges, such as technology, design, usability, and implementation, still exist that relate to socio-technical issues.