NR 361 Week 4 Discussion

NR 361 Week 4 Discussion

Name

Chamberlain University

NR-361: RN Information Systems in Healthcare

Prof. Name

Date

Case Study: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Personal Health Records

A 65-year-old woman has been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was informed about her condition during a visit to her primary care physician. After receiving the diagnosis, she returned home to review her test and lab results with her family. The patient accessed her personal health record (PHR) online, but she could only retrieve a portion of the results. The physician’s office explained that her lab work was performed across multiple locations: one at a lab unaffiliated with the healthcare organization, another at the emergency room, and the rest at the doctor’s office. This scenario illustrates a common issue in clinical practice, where patients receive healthcare services from different organizations with varying systems, making it challenging to access all medical records in one place.

Pros and Cons of the Situation

The ability to access one’s PHR provides patients with valuable information regarding their health, including data from medical visits, tests, and labs. However, the woman in this case study faced limitations, as not all medical facilities were connected to the same PHR. As a result, there were gaps in the data available to her. While PHRs are designed to enhance accessibility and promote continuity of care, the lack of synchronization between different healthcare providers impedes the productivity of such systems. Patients in situations like this must contact multiple facilities to manually gather the missing information, leading to delays and complications in their care management.

Safeguards in Patient Portals and PHRs

The security of personal information is a significant concern for patients. Hebda and Czar (2013) describe the electronic PHR as a “private, secure application” that allows individuals to access, manage, and share their health information (p. 325). Access to PHRs is restricted to those with authorized login credentials or proxy users delegated by the patient. When patients use the messaging feature of their PHR, secure email is utilized, which includes encryption and user authentication to prevent unauthorized access. As Hebda points out, this method of communication is essential for ensuring patient safety, privacy, and effective care coordination (p. 335). Furthermore, PHRs synced with electronic health records (EHRs) during hospital stays are regulated by HIPAA, which enforces strict privacy protections.

Challenges and Personal Opinions on the Process

The use of PHRs offers several benefits, such as the consolidation of treatments, health monitoring, and ease of communication with healthcare providers. Despite these advantages, not all healthcare facilities participate in data synchronization with a single PHR. This can make it difficult for patients to access complete health records, particularly when receiving care from multiple providers. In this scenario, patients may need to obtain physical copies of their medical records from various locations. While this poses a challenge, it also presents an opportunity for patients to manually organize their information and maintain their health records at home.

Challenges of Limited Access to EHRs

PHRs often contain only a portion of a patient’s EHR. Vydra, Cuaresma, Kretovics, and Bose-Brill (2015) explain that “tethered” PHRs are linked to a physician’s electronic medical record (EMR) and provide patients with access to subsets of their EMR data (p. 1). This limited access can hinder the continuity of care and medical management post-hospitalization, as patients may struggle to understand incomplete lab results or test outcomes. Additionally, the medical terminology used in EHRs may confuse patients, further complicating their ability to interpret important health information.

References

Hebda, T., & Czar, P. (2013). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Vydra, T. P., Cuaresma, E., Kretovics, M., & Bose-Brill, S. (2015). Diffusion and Use of Tethered Personal Health Records in Primary Care. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 1-16.

NR 361 Week 4 Discussion

Table: Key Points from Case Study