BMJ  2007;335:330-333 (18 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.39279.482963.AD

Analysis

Potential of electronic personal health records

Claudia Pagliari, senior lecturer in primary care1, Don Detmer, professor of medical education2, Peter Singleton, principal research fellow3

1 Division of Community Health Sciences (GP Section), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9DX, 2 Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, PO Box 800717, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA, 3 Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education, University College London, London N19 5LW

Correspondence to: C Pagliari claudia.pagliari@ed.ac.uk

Novel methods for helping patients to access and manage their personal electronic health data are emerging in the UK and internationally. Claudia Pagliari, Don Detmer, and Peter Singleton examine their potential benefits and challenges

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Public demand for flexible access to health information and services is growing, encouraged by internet trends and policies promoting patient rights and empowerment.1 In parallel, unprecedented global investment in healthcare information and communication technologies has been dominated by efforts to implement electronic health records, which promise improved quality and efficiency through better maintenance and availability of patient data.2 There is considerable international interest in the potential of electronic personal health records to bridge these agendas, and NHS HealthSpace is set to become the world's first fully national system, although its capabilities are still limited in comparison with some European and US examples. We consider the potential of electronic personal health records and factors that are likely to influence their adoption in the UK, drawing on a new report from the Nuffield Trust.3

Although no universally agreed definition of an electronic personal health record exists,4 it has been described as "an . . . [Full text of this article]


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Electronic Health Records Need to be Standardised
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