Patients Take Control : Individual Empowerment with Personal Health Records
Electronic health records and health information technology are the focus of attention due, in part, to the President's Health Information Technology Plan, which calls for a 10-year adoption plan for electronic health records (EHR). We examine one component of HIT, the electronic personal health record, its adoption, value, and the impact it has on patients. Using data collected from a nationwide-survey of CapMed Personal Health Record (PHR) users, we examine the profile of the PHR users, the healthcare tasks and software features deemed important, and the value patients report receiving from PHR adoption. Finally, we examine privacy issues related to PHR adoption. Using factor analysis, we find that three distinct dimensions of perceived value emerge. These value measures are: "Desire for structure, organization and compliance," "Desire for relationship and connectedness with provider," and "Desire for convenience and empowerment." Using regression analysis we found significant relationships between perceived value and self-reported use and behavioral intention. We also found that users desire a high level of connectedness with their providers and this relationship can be enhanced by the use of a PHR