Web-Based Personal-Centered Electronic Health Record for Elderly Population

Increasing acceptance and availability of information and communication technology (ICT) have made the development and implementation of Web-based electronic personal health records (PHRs) more feasible. Previous studies have demonstrated the PHR's potential to alleviate limitations in traditional healthcare delivery. However, this type of technology-dependent approach inherits the vulnerabilities of exposing the society to its own share of inequality (i.e., "digital divide"). To address these concerns and improve healthcare outcomes, we have developed a Web-based patient-centered electronic PHR, named the Personal Health Information Management System (PHIMS), and a community-based resource sharing and support model/strategy. The system has been evaluated at the Everett Housing Authority, which provides housing for low-income families and elderly or disabled populations, and we conducted a feasibility trial with the elderly and disabled residents. The participants were satisfied with the PHIMS system in general, 82% of the surveyed users attempted to share the PHIMS records with their care providers. Both patients and providers were satisfied with the usability of PHIMS