Chapter 13: Consumer Informatics Benefits

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

A number, often only four digits, used like a password. A PIN is a personal identification number. It is a number that is set by you and known only to you that serves as a key to accessing your smart card.

Patient Portals

A secure website that provides patients access to their EHR data. A secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Provide patients access to their EHR data. Common portal communication functions include the ability to make routine appointments, request prescription refills, or receive alerts.

Unique Patient Identifier (UPI)

A single medical identification number, much like a Social Security number (SSN) or some other identification (such as biometrics or smartphones), that is unique to each person and used to organize their medical information.

Protocol

A system of rules used to exchange data by computer. A set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.

Health Information Exchange (HIE): Consumer Mediated Exchange

Ability for patients to aggregate and control the use of their health information among providers.

Health Information Exchange (HIE): Query-Based Exchange

Ability for providers to find and/or request information on a patient from other providers, often used for unplanned care.

Health Information Exchange (HIE): Directed Exchange

Ability to send and receive secure information electronically between care providers to support coordinated care

Flash Drives (portable storage)

Also known as key drives, thumb drives, or jump drives. Small, portable solid-state drives Can connect to a computer via a USB port (USB flash drive) Used as internal storage in many mobile devices.

Why is a UPI important?

It would prevent the chances of overlapping a patient health record when an individual shares the same name or birthdate.

Types of PHRs: Connected/Tethered PHR

Personal health information attached to a specific organization's health information system. PHR is linked to a specific healthcare organization's PHR system or to a health plan's information system. With a tethered PHR, patients can access their own records through a secure portal. Connected/Tethered PHRs are protected by HIPAA

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Portable storage device that uses flash memory and is lightweight enough to attach to a keychain. - Digital storage device designed to store files. Can be anything from text docs to multimedia files to the software. - Can plug directly into your device's USB port to access the files contained on the flash drive.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.

Interoperable

The ability to electronically share data

Health Information Exchange (HIE)

The exchange of health information electronically between providers and others with the same level of interoperability, such as labs and pharmacies. Electronic health information exchange (HIE) allows doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient's vital medical information electronically—improving the speed, quality, safety and cost of patient care. Has three key forms

Ethical Priorities for EHRs (4)

1. Privacy and confidentiality, 2. Security breaches, 3. System implementation 4. Data inaccuracies

Types of PHRs: Stand-Alone PHR

A PHR that is not tied to any particular health system's electronic health record. It is portable between providers and institutions. Patients fill in information from their own records, and the information is stored on patients' computers or the Internet. In some cases, a stand-alone PHR can also accept data from external sources, including providers and laboratories. Stand-alone PHRs are not protected by HIPAA.

Smart Card

A device like a credit card that holds a person's health information. Contains embedded technologies that can store information and small amounts of software to perform some limited processing. They allow you to keep a copy of your important health records on hand and easily share this information with others if you choose. Users must provide a password, a PIN (personal identification number) to gain computer access, or both, and possibly a biometric, such as a fingerprint or digitized iris. Can be locked if lost.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

A digital healthcare record created by healthcare providers or agencies, such as a hospital. EMRs that meet national standards for interoperability will be able to share health information with the EHR. The institution or provider that creates EMRs owns and manages them. Consumers have access to their own health information in EMRs.

Consumer Informatics

A field of study related to healthcare information that is accessible to consumers in a useful, understandable manner. The goal is to empower patients while giving them the knowledge they need to make their own health decisions.

Personal Health Record (PHR)

An electronic or paper health record maintained and updated by an individual for himself or herself; a tool that individuals can use to collect, track, and share past and current information about their health or the health of someone in their care. Allows users to maintain/manage their own health information and communicate the information with authorized providers. If the PHR conforms to interoperability standards, it can contain data from the EHR, but still controlled by the individual. There are two types of PHRs: 1. Stand-Alone PHR 2. Connected/Tethered PHR

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

An interoperable electronic healthcare record that can contain data from the EMRs of all healthcare providers, including care facilities, clinicians, laboratories, and pharmacies involved with the patient's care. The EHR provides real-time information and includes evidence-based decision support tools. Inability to access health information problems can be life threatening in an emergency.

De-Identified Data

Health information that is stripped of all identifiers.

Confidentiality

Refers to care providers maintaining all personal health information a secret, except in approved circumstances. It's an important measure to maintain privacy and security of personal health information. Authorized care providers must keep all personal health information as secret, except to other care providers who need access to that information and to others that the patient has consented to allow access.

Security

Refers to the measures implemented to prevent unauthorized user access to the personal health information of patients.

Privacy

Refers to the right of patients to control what happens to their personal health information.

Barriers to PHRs

a. Rules and procedures have not been established to guide PHRs. b. Unique identifiers are needed so EMR and EHR data can be connected. c. Every organization portal would require its own username and password. d. Some areas or populations don't have sufficient access to internet or computers. e. There are concerns about security, privacy, cost, interoperability, and data presentation. f. Providers have concerns about patients seeing medical information that isn't interpreted into layman terms. g. Provider reluctance to use PHR data