The Mary Junck Research Colloquium Series

Fall 2008

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School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Barbara Wildemuth

Professor
School of Information and Library Science
UNC-Chapel Hill

 

 

 

 

Oct. 2

 

What Patients Want from Their Personal Health Records

Personal health records (PHRs) have the potential to empower people in managing their long term healthiness and in communicating effectively with their health care providers. Currently we have only anecdotal data concerning how and why someone might use a personal health record. Therefore, an exploratory study was conducted to identify the potential uses of and patients’ concerns related to acceptance of PHRs. Forty-three semi-structured interviews explored frustrations with existing PHR’s, the range of uses for which people would create and maintain PHRs, the types of data they would keep, and the privacy and security issues that are most important. Study participants were purposively recruited from four specific groups that are likely to be early adopters of PHRs: parents with young children, adults with chronic illnesses, adults caring for older parents, and older adults. Most of the participants currently keep health records of some kind, but have little confidence in their ability to find and use particular records when needed, and described their difficulties in sharing records between health providers. These, and other results from the study will be presented and discussed.

If you would like additional details or information
about the colloquium series or have any suggestions,
please contact

Sriram "Sri" Kalyanaraman
E-mail: sri@unc.edu
Phone: 919-843-5858