Patient-centered Health Record Linked to a Referral Service

Objective: To develop a personal health record (PHR) that can be used in a number of electronic health care services and to evaluate its application in referral management. Design: A web-based PHR that can be used by patients when requesting referrals was developed. In addition to the information that is usually stored in a PHR (e.g., medical history, medications and allergies), patients can store a record of their consultations. The PHR also includes a messaging system that can be structured into the workflow of referral management as well as allowing more general communications. An evaluation study was conducted with 43 patients. Results: Twenty-seven patients completed a survey in which 85% of respondents were satisfied with the usability and 96% were satisfied with the overall online referral process. Clinicians were satisfied with the content of subjects' PHR and referral problem descriptions and found the information detailed enough to triage all cases. Both patients and providers reported their communications were enhanced by the system and found the messaging system convenient to use. Conclusion: The PHR is beneficial in health care applications other than the emergency and travel cases in which it was initially promoted. When used as part of the referral process, a system based on the PHR can enhance patient-provider communications.