| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 66-73 |
| Journal | Information Technology in Biomedicine, IEEE Transactions on |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2011 |
Bibliographical note
Author's note: The paper represents an output from the EPSRC funded MyCare project, on which the author was PI with Panicos Kyriacou ( a collaboration between Coventry and City Univerities). The research cited in the paper represents the first attempt in the UK to develop electronic hand held, patient maintained health records. Crucially information felt to be important from the patients perspective is written by them on the device. This could include a diary of symptoms, non prescribed medication etc. It would be used as a basis of discussion with the health professionals, who would also be able to enter prescribed medication on to it. The system was fully encrypted to reduce security/privacy fearsThe project was formulated prior the health spine and cloud based medical services. The design of the card was informed by user centred research – over 500 questionnaires completed in pharmacies and health centres across UK by patents and health centres – and iterative development and testing culminating in a user trial of 50 devices, and ‘road shows’ across the UK, in which people were invited to discuss issues relating to medical records and health literacy. The design of the card was raised as an example of value for money health research in Parliament at a time when the health spine was making little progress. The project was held up by the EPSRC as a case study.
Significantly the research showed the following: approval for such a system by certain groups of health professionals (e.g. front line staff) and patients (such as those with children, communication difficulties, the elderly, those with long term health problems and those who would ‘opt out’ of central record systems); a lack of awareness of the ‘unjoinedupness’ of the current health system; the distribution of power in the patient /doctor relationship; the lack of health literacy in the general public; poor levels of computer literacy;. Unfortunately the field trials showed that the cards would not be used regularly by those who were not suffering from ill health and that the medical professionals would not trust information entered on to the system by patients.
Discussions with senior members of the health service/under secretary for health led to the opinion that such cards were not the way forward in the UK.
Keywords
- Graphical user interface (GUI)
- Python
- health care
- patient care
- personal health record