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Embracing a Health Services Research Perspective on Personal Health Records: Lessons Learned from the VA My HealtheVet System

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Abstract

Background

Personal health records (PHRs) are designed to help people manage information about their health. Over the past decade, there has been a proliferation of PHRs, but research regarding their effects on clinical, behavioral, and financial outcomes remains limited. The potential for PHRs to facilitate patient-centered care and health system transformation underscores the importance of embracing a broader perspective on PHR research.

Objective

Drawing from the experiences of VA staff to evaluate the My HealtheVet (MHV) PHR, this article advocates for a health services research perspective on the study of PHR systems.

Methods

We describe an organizing framework and research agenda, and offer insights that have emerged from our ongoing efforts regarding the design of PHR-related studies, the need to address PHR data ownership and consent, and the promotion of effective PHR research collaborations.

Conclusion

These lessons are applicable to other PHR systems and the conduct of PHR research across different organizational contexts.

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Conflicts of Interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office, Office of Health Information, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA

    Kim M. Nazi PhD(c)

  2. Health Services Research and Development Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines, IL, USA

    Timothy P. Hogan PhD, Bridget M. Smith PhD & Frances M. Weaver PhD

  3. Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), US Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines, IL, USA

    Timothy P. Hogan PhD, Bridget M. Smith PhD & Frances M. Weaver PhD

  4. Edward J. Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines, IL, USA

    Timothy P. Hogan PhD, Bridget M. Smith PhD & Frances M. Weaver PhD

  5. Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Todd H. Wagner PhD & Kenneth R. Weingardt PhD

  6. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Todd H. Wagner PhD & Kenneth R. Weingardt PhD

  7. HIV/Hepatitis Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), US Department of Veterans Affairs, Bedford, MA, USA

    D. Keith McInnes ScD, MS & Allen L. Gifford MD

  8. Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Quality Outcomes and Economic Research, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Bedford, MA, USA

    D. Keith McInnes ScD, MS & Allen L. Gifford MD

  9. Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Bedford, MA, USA

    D. Keith McInnes ScD, MS & Allen L. Gifford MD

  10. Institute for Healthcare Studies, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Bridget M. Smith PhD & Frances M. Weaver PhD

  11. Health Services Research and Development Center on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David Haggstrom MD, MAS & Jason J. Saleem PhD

  12. Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Veterans Health Administration, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David Haggstrom MD, MAS, Neale R. Chumbler PhD & Jason J. Saleem PhD

  13. University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David Haggstrom MD, MAS & Jason J. Saleem PhD

  14. Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Indiana University Department of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David Haggstrom MD, MAS

  15. Stroke Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), US Department of Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Neale R. Chumbler PhD

  16. Department of Sociology, Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Neale R. Chumbler PhD

  17. Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Allen L. Gifford MD

  18. Creative Computing Solutions, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA

    Kathleen G. Charters PhD, RN

  19. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Jason J. Saleem PhD

  20. Substance Use Disorders Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), US Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, USA

    Kenneth R. Weingardt PhD

  21. Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Veterans Health Administration, Houston, TX, USA

    Kenneth R. Weingardt PhD

  22. Chief Health Informatics Office, Office of Health Information, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA

    Linda F. Fischetti RN, MS

  23. Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Frances M. Weaver PhD

Authors
  1. Kim M. Nazi PhD(c)
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  2. Timothy P. Hogan PhD
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  3. Todd H. Wagner PhD
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  4. D. Keith McInnes ScD, MS
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  5. Bridget M. Smith PhD
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  6. David Haggstrom MD, MAS
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  7. Neale R. Chumbler PhD
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  8. Allen L. Gifford MD
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  9. Kathleen G. Charters PhD, RN
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  10. Jason J. Saleem PhD
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  11. Kenneth R. Weingardt PhD
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  12. Linda F. Fischetti RN, MS
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  13. Frances M. Weaver PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kim M. Nazi PhD(c).

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Nazi, K.M., Hogan, T.P., Wagner, T.H. et al. Embracing a Health Services Research Perspective on Personal Health Records: Lessons Learned from the VA My HealtheVet System. J GEN INTERN MED 25 (Suppl 1), 62–67 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1114-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1114-6

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