Using the Personal Health Record to Improve Health Literacy: A Social Capital Perspective

Introduction: The provider-patient relationship has been changed as a result of increased demands on provider’s time and reimbursement methods. This has put a strain on the health education portion of physician’s appointments and left many patients with a low health literacy. Background: Low health literacy has implications for patient satisfaction, and outcomes. The personal health record (PHR) may be means to increase social capital in the form of provider-patient relationships and increase health literacy. Methods: This research focuses on the PHR and patient health literacy. Participants were asked to complete a survey regarding their feelings toward PHRs. Results: A qualitative analysis was conducted from 562 patients at a primary care physician’s office. Three themes regarding patients’ feelings about PHRs emerged from this study; convenience, connectivity, and literacy. Conclusion: This research suggests that the PHR is an important tool for health care managers to consider when discussing patient education and literacy.