When my elderly mother's health began to fail a few years ago, my sister and I were often at her side at the doctor's office, at the ED, and eventually, in personal care and then a nursing home. She saw many physicians and had numerous therapies in a distant community in which her health records were neither electronic nor shared.

Everyone needed her information and she was not a good historian, so I organized what information we needed for a doctor/ER visits into a huge 3 ring notebook, which I grabbed for every scheduled visit or emergency trip. Many of you may have organized the same kind of records for your family members. How much easier this situation would have been for everyone if we, and her providers, had access to an electronic, personal health record for her.

A review of the literature on the consumer's perspective of the PHR found that consumers are interested in adopting PHRs, which are powerful tools for management of health.

Features that consumers want in a PHR include the ease of navigation, explanation of medical terminology, being able to view their medical documents, understand their test results and medications and communicate with their providers (Pushpangadan, and Seckman, 2015). In addition, barriers to the use of the PHR included the digital divide, medical terminology as well as privacy and security concerns.

How would a client's use of a PHR impact your practice? Would you encourage your client's to initiate a PHR?Hello Class,

When my elderly mother's health began to fail a few years ago, my sister and I were often at her side at the doctor's office, at the ED, and eventually, in personal care and then a nursing home. She saw many physicians and had numerous therapies in a distant community in which her health records were neither electronic nor shared.

Everyone needed her information and she was not a good historian, so I organized what information we needed for a doctor/ER visits into a huge 3 ring notebook, which I grabbed for every scheduled visit or emergency trip. Many of you may have organized the same kind of records for your family members. How much easier this situation would have been for everyone if we, and her providers, had access to an electronic, personal health record for her.

A review of the literature on the consumer's perspective of the PHR found that consumers are interested in adopting PHRs, which are powerful tools for management of health.

Features that consumers want in a PHR include the ease of navigation, explanation of medical terminology, being able to view their medical documents, understand their test results and medications and communicate with their providers (Pushpangadan, and Seckman, 2015). In addition, barriers to the use of the PHR included the digital divide, medical terminology as well as privacy and security concerns.

How would a client's use of a PHR impact your practice? Would you encourage your client's to initiate a PHR?Hello Class,

When my elderly mother's health began to fail a few years ago, my sister and I were often at her side at the doctor's office, at the ED, and eventually, in personal care and then a nursing home. She saw many physicians and had numerous therapies in a distant community in which her health records were neither electronic nor shared.

Everyone needed her information and she was not a good historian, so I organized what information we needed for a doctor/ER visits into a huge 3 ring notebook, which I grabbed for every scheduled visit or emergency trip. Many of you may have organized the same kind of records for your family members. How much easier this situation would have been for everyone if we, and her providers, had access to an electronic, personal health record for her.

A review of the literature on the consumer's perspective of the PHR found that consumers are interested in adopting PHRs, which are powerful tools for management of health. Features that consumers want in a PHR include the ease of navigation, explanation of medical terminology, being able to view their medical documents, understand their test results and medications and communicate with their providers (Pushpangadan, and Seckman, 2015). In addition, barriers to the use of the PHR included the digital divide, medical terminology as well as privacy and security concerns.

How would a client's use of a PHR impact your practice? Would you encourage your client's to initiate a PHR?Hello Class,

When my elderly mother's health began to fail a few years ago, my sister and I were often at her side at the doctor's office, at the ED, and eventually, in personal care and then a nursing home. She saw many physicians and had numerous therapies in a distant community in which her health records were neither electronic nor shared.

Everyone needed her information and she was not a good historian, so I organized what information we needed for a doctor/ER visits into a huge 3 ring notebook, which I grabbed for every scheduled visit or emergency trip. Many of you may have organized the same kind of records for your family members. How much easier this situation would have been for everyone if we, and her providers, had access to an electronic, personal health record for her.

A review of the literature on the consumer's perspective of the PHR found that consumers are interested in adopting PHRs, which are powerful tools for management of health.

Features that consumers want in a PHR include the ease of navigation, explanation of medical terminology, being able to view their medical documents, understand their test results and medications and communicate with their providers (Pushpangadan, and Seckman, 2015). In addition, barriers to the use of the PHR included the digital divide, medical terminology as well as privacy and security concerns.

How would a client's use of a PHR impact your practice? Would you encourage your client's to initiate a PHR?Patient portals and patient health records (PHRs) are commonplace today.

What are the pros and cons of having a PHR? What safeguards and decision-making support tools are included in patient portals and PHRs to help patients and healthcare professionals ensure safety?