National Survey Highlights Growth in PHR Adoption
Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:00
Tags: California Health Foundation | Dossia | Health IT | Personal Health Record | Phr
The results of a national survey focusing on consumer perceptions and engagement with health IT were recently released. The survey, which focused mainly on PHRs, was sponsored by The California HealthCare Foundation. Click here to access the report, and see below for a summary of findings.
Here at Dossia we have been asked what we think about the low percentage of respondents interested in accessing an employer sponsored PHR (25% of non-users). Our response: this is the very reason that Dossia was founded as a standalone, non-profit entity that categorically does not share health information with employers but rather maintains a completely private and secure record that is under employees' personal control.
We view respondents' interest in PHRs sponsored by providers and health plans as a function of these entities being the obvious sources of trusted health data. As consumers realize that they can access health information from multiple sources including providers, plans, pharmacies, labs, etc. they will increasingly look for a convenient way to aggregate this information. And this is where Dossia offers a distinct advantage, as Dossia aggregates data from multiple sources.
Patient portals to doctor's EMRs are indeed useful for looking at lab results, scheduling appointments, and messaging doctors but they do not give users control over their health information, and they do not aggregate health information. As the quantity and quality of electronic health information increases, and more connected health devices become available, we expect that consumers will look for a single access to point that gives them greater control over all their health information from professional, personal, and automated sources.
All in all, we at Dossia are excited to see growing interest from consumers for flexible health solutions provided in a personally controlled and private environment and we are committed to delivering these solutions to our Founders and beyond.
Summary of findings:
- 7% of respondents were using a PHR that's about twice the adoption rate calculated a couple years ago by the Markle Foundation. Use of PHRs is higher in the West (11%), and higher still in California (15%) where Kaiser's MyChart has achieved broad use.
- About half of users' PHRs were sponsored by their health plan, and about one quarter by their health care provider.
- 64% of users found it is useful to make sure their health information is accurate, 57% enjoy being able to look at test results, and about half of users find it useful to email providers and renew prescriptions online. Over half of PHR users think that using a PHR makes them feel like they know more about their health, and about the care that their doctor gives them.
- Though most PHR users tend to be younger, highly educated and of higher income, those with less education and lower income and those with chronic illnesses derive more value from using a PHR including becoming more educated, inquisitive, and proactive about improving their health.
- Overall, 40% of non-users indicate that they are interested in using a PHR if sponsored by a provider (58%), health plan (50%), company like Google or Microsoft (25%), or employer (25%).
- Non-users indicate that privacy (76%) and lack of an immediate need (61%) are the biggest barriers to adoption though less than half of PHR users are worried about privacy and two thirds of all respondents agreed that privacy concerns should NOT stop us from learning how (PHR) technology can improve health care.
- A minority of respondents (42%) have heard of PHRs, compared to 72% who have heard of EMRs.
- About half (48%) of respondents are interested in home monitoring devices, and a similar proportion (55%) are interested in health applications such as those that allow you to track illnesses, diet, exercise, etc.
Personal Health System Heavyweights Dossia, Google, and Microsoft Come Together to Advocate for Putting the Patient First in Meaningful Use
Thursday, 18 March 2010 00:00
Tags: Dossia | Google | HHS | meaningful use | Microsoft
This last Monday (March 15th) marked the close of the open comment period for the HHS proposed rule implementing ARRA provisions that provide incentive payments to healthcare providers that participate in CMS programs and adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.
Many comments focused on requests to relax the rules governing reimbursement so that providers could get 'partial credit' for achieving some but not all of the meaningful use criteria. Others sought clarification of requirements to make it easier for providers to comply.
Another major theme, about which Dossia has been most vocal, focused on patient access to and control over their personal health information. In addition to Dossia's own comments, Dossia's CEO, Colin Evans, participated in the Markle Foundation's collaborative commenting process.
In addition, Dossia collaborated with Google and Microsoft to advocate that patients be allowed to direct eligible providers to transmit their personal health information to their PHR:
The intention of Congress in ARRA was very clear that everyone is entitled to a copy of their Personal Health Information sent to a destination of their choice and the Meaningful Use criteria need to reflect that commitment.
Dossia is encouraged with the ONC's openness to outside recommendations as it moves toward finalizing the criteria for CMS reimbursement, and we remain hopeful that the ONC will continue to promote policies that put the patient first.
Employers stepping up to the plate
Monday, 01 March 2010 21:04
Tags: Dossia | employee empowerment | Intel | Pitney Bowes
It's been a busy month here at Dossia with two Founders, Intel and Pitney Bowes, rolling out the Dossia Personal Health Record to their employees. In future, We'll be sharing updates on how these and other employers are using Personal Health Record Platforms to deliver a myriad of health and wellness benefits and to engage their employees to take action to improve their health and become more discerning health care consumers.
In the meantime we would like to point you towards a contributed article penned by Dossia CEO, Colin Evans, and Dossia Senior Research Fellow, Jacob Sattelmair . This article highlights some of the things that large employers, like Intel and Pitney Bowes, are doing today to be proactive about addressing the health care crisis by getting more involved in delivering innovative solutions. Employers are finally taking a leadership role in health care, and since they've long been footing the bill for runaway costs, we think it's about time. Please find the article here.
Patients demand health records. Employers can help.
Friday, 29 January 2010 17:20
Tags: ARRA | consumer healthcare | Dossia | EHR | health reform | HITECH | patient empowerment | Phr
A recent CNN.com article (http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/14/medical.records) entitled "Patients demand: 'Give us our damned data'" highlights the barriers that many patients must overcome in order to get access to their own medical records.
The Health Information Privacy and Portability Act (HIPAA) gives patients the right to their own health information, and dictates that doctors and hospitals must provide patients with this information upon request, but in reality it can be extremely difficult for patients to obtain a copy of their health records.
Patient requests that are met with administrative runaround, extended delays, and excessive expense marginalize patients as they attempt to take responsibility for their own welfare, and moreover can be responsible for compromising patient safety, quality of care, and clinical decision making, while simultaneously leading to excessive and unnecessary treatments.
This is a reality that would be considered incomprehensible in any other industry.
Read more: Patients demand health records. Employers can help.EHRs and PHRs: A Marriage of Convenience?
Monday, 14 December 2009 15:34
Tags: Dossia | EHR | Electronic Health Record | Harvard | Healthcare | Personal health records | PHAT | Phr
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege
of participating on a panel at the “2009 Harvard Public Health and
Technology Conference,†hosted by the Harvard School of Public Health
(HSPH) Public Health and Technology (PHAT) Forum. This one day
student-lead conference brought together a diverse group of leaders
from academia and industry in the field of health IT. The morning session
addressed the current state of electronic health records (EHRs) in the
US, considered the potential of EHRs to improve healthcare quality and
lower costs, and predicted the potential impact of government stimulus
(ARRA / HITECH) for EHRs. In contrast, the afternoon session explored
the potential for (mainly private sector driven) consumer facing health
IT solutions to engage individuals to improve their health and demand
a more consumer centric health care system. [For a full run-down on
the day’s events, check out John Moore’s blog post (http://chilmarkresearch.com/
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