The advent of HIPPA Act in 1996 provided for security and provision of health electronic record (EHR) or personal health record (PHR). PHR are records entered by patients through certain software and hardware (Al-Ubaydli, 2010). PHR are different from EHR where the latter are used by health care providers while the former used by patients themselves. Hence, this presentation will discuss the data ranges, solution types, and benefits of PHR in advancing information security of a hospital in accordance to the HIPPA act.
Common data ranges of PHR are: family past, daily living annotations, immunizations, Lab checks, and chronic illnesses (Jones et al., 2010). Other services in PHR are: management of patient schedules and notices; communication between health providers and patient; drugs reaction in a patient
PHR solution Types, Threats, and interventions
Integrating HER with PHR leads to two platforms being web based and electronically based. Electronic based: contains software that can encrypt, back-up, import from other databases, and print personal data. Web based: more beneficial since they can be integrated with other value added services. This would allow for public hospitals to import information from external sources.
The major threat is that information can be leaked to unauthorized personnel. Common confidentiality threats are: disclosure by accident; insider disclosure; outside interference; exploitation by secondary users.
However, improvements to intervene on the threats are: use of deterrents, using technological obstacles, and implementation of precautions in system management.
Benefits of PHR
PHR have been shown to have merits such as: vast bank of health information for clinicians and patients; easy access of information; continuous data; easy diagnosis of health threats; better health care; and better documentation.
References
Al-Ubaydli, M. (2011). Personal Health Records: A Guide for Clinicians. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Pp. 2-67
Jones, D. A., Shipman, J. P., Plaut, D. A., & Selden, C. R. (2010). Characteristics of personal health records: findings of the Medical Library Association/National Library of Medicine Joint Electronic Personal Health Record Task Force. Journal Of The Medical Library Association, 98(3), 243-249. doi:10.3163/1536-5050.98.3.013
