compare and contrast patient portal and pwrsonal health record

by Prof. Tressa Hackett 9 min read

The Difference Between Patient Portals and Personal …

2 hours ago Mar 26, 2019 · Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, private practice business support and revenue cycle optimization. We can perform in-depth assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088. >> Go To The Portal


The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered).

The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered).Sep 6, 2012

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What is the difference between patient portals and personal health records (PHRs)?

Mar 26, 2019 · Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, private practice business support and revenue cycle optimization. We can perform in-depth assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088.

What is the difference between an EHR and a personal health record?

Feb 20, 2019 · Patient portals and personal health records (PHRs) have both received considerable praise for their role in increasing patient engagement. However, distinguishing between the two forms of health IT tools can often be difficult, due to nebulous definitions and overlapping features.

Can patient portals and personal health records drive patient engagement?

Sep 06, 2012 · The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to …

What is a patient portal?

Jul 02, 2020 · PHRs, EHRs and patient portals. PHRs are not the same as electronic health records (EHRs), also called electronic medical records (EMRs), which are owned and maintained by doctors' offices, hospitals or health insurance plans. EHRs typically contain the same basic information you would put in a PHR, such as your date of birth, medication list ...

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What is the difference between medical records and health records?

It's easy to remember the distinction between EMRs and EHRs, if you think about the term “medical” versus the term “health.” An EMR is a narrower view of a patient's medical history, while an EHR is a more comprehensive report of the patient's overall health.Feb 15, 2017

What is the meaning of patient portal?

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure username and password, patients can view health information such as: Recent doctor visits. Discharge summaries. Medications.Sep 29, 2017

What is in a personal health record?

A personal health record (PHR) refers to the collection of an individual's medical documentation maintained by the individual themselves, or a caregiver, in cases where patients are unable to do so themselves. This personal information includes details such as: The patient's medical history. Applicable diagnoses.Oct 22, 2021

What are the advantages of personal health records?

PHR s can:Improve Patient Engagement: Much of what your patients do for their health happens outside clinical settings. ... Coordinate and Combine Information from Multiple Providers: PHR s can promote better health care by helping your patients manage information from various providers and improve care coordination.More items...•Mar 3, 2016

Why is patient portal important in healthcare?

A patient portal is a website for your personal health care. The online tool helps you to keep track of your health care provider visits, test results, billing, prescriptions, and so on. You can also e-mail your provider questions through the portal.Aug 13, 2020

What is the advantage of a patient portal for the patient?

Background. Engaging patients in the delivery of health care has the potential to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Patient portals may enhance patient engagement by enabling patients to access their electronic medical records (EMRs) and facilitating secure patient-provider communication.

What is personal health?

This is perhaps the most well-known category and it includes a personal attention to and maintenance of overall health through nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and positive healthy habits to maintain a healthy quality of life.

What are the pros and cons of personal health records?

My Health Record Pros And ConsPros and Cons of My Health RecordPROSCONSReduce medical errors as doctors will have more information to treat patients with.Doctors need to upload a shared health summary every time a patient has a medication change, vaccination or significant change to their health.12 more rows

What is the purpose of the health record?

The health record is the principal repository (storage place) for data and information about the healthcare services provided to an individual patient. It documents the who, what, when, where, why, and how of patient care.

Why is medical records important in healthcare?

The records form a permanent account of a patient's illness. Their clarity and accuracy is paramount for effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients. The maintenance of good medical records ensures that a patient's assessed needs are met comprehensively.Jan 9, 2014

What is the difference between personal health record PHR and electronic medical record EMR?

What's the Difference? Whereas an electronic health record (EHR) is a computer record that originates with and is controlled by doctors, a personal health record (PHR) can be generated by physicians, patients, hospitals, pharmacies, and other sources but is controlled by the patient.

What is the purpose of the patient's personal health record for physician?

Personal health records include tools to help individuals take a more active role in their own health. In part, PHRs represent a repository for patient data, but PHR systems can also include decision-support capabilities that can assist patients in managing chronic conditions.

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure username and password, patients can view health information such as: 1 Recent doctor visits 2 Discharge summaries 3 Medications 4 Immunizations 5 Allergies 6 Lab results

How can accessing health records improve health literacy?

According to a report published by AHIMA, patients who access their health information via any form of personal health record can improve their health literacy, giving them the power to make their own health decisions and engage in meaningful conversations with providers. “Patients who have accessed their medical records have reported ...

What is a tethered PHR?

The ONC’s definition of a tethered PHR is very similar to the definition that the agency provides for patient portals: A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Can a PHR be interoperable?

For standalone PHRs, interoperability can cause issues for patients who want to offer a provider access to their data. A patient’s PHR may not work well with a provider’s EHR, making it impossible for the provider to access a full view of the patient’s health record.

Can EHRs connect to PHRs?

As of 2013, only 60 percent of clinician EHRs could connect to PHRs, according to data from the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange. This problem can also occur with patient portals. A patient may have one portal for their primary care physician, as well as two more for their optometrist and dermatologist.

Do PHRs require patients to take initiative?

More current PHRs have started to address these issues. Although standalone PHRs still require patients to take the initiative to involve their providers with the technology, tethered PHRs/patient portals allow the patient to interact with the provider.

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure username and password, patients can view health information such as: Some patient portals also allow patients to:

How does a PHR help patients?

Other studies have also indicated that patient data access via PHR or patient portal can help improve outcomes.

Can a PHR be interoperable?

For standalone PHRs, interoperability can cause issues for patients who want to offer a provider access to their data. A patient’s PHR may not work well with a provider’s EHR, making it impossible for the provider to access a full view of the patient’s health record.

Can EHRs connect to PHRs?

As of 2013, only 60 percent of clinician EHRs could connect to PHRs, according to data from the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange. This problem can also occur with patient portals. A patient may have one portal for their primary care physician, as well as two more for their optometrist and dermatologist.

Do standalone PHRs require patients to take the initiative to engage their providers?

Although standalone PHRs still require patients to take the initiative to involve their providers with the technology, tethered PHRs/patient portals allow the patient to interact with the provider. PHRS, PATIENT PORTALS, AND INTEROPERABILITY HURDLES.

What is the difference between a patient portal and a PHR?

The patient is provided with a secure login and can view results or clinical information and interact with healthcare providers by submitting messages, booking appointments, or requesting medication renewals. The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered). Information in the PHR is shared at the discretion of the patient.

Is a PHR a patient centric record?

On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered). Information in the PHR is shared at the discretion of the patient. The above description is quite simplistic and based upon ...

What is the difference between a PHR and an EHR?

But EHRs contain more extensive information because they're used by health care providers to store visit notes, test results and much more. A PHR that is tied to an EHR is called a patient portal. In some but not all cases you can add information, such as home blood pressure readings, to your record via a patient portal.

What is electronic health records?

Electronic personal health records (PHRs) remedy that problem by making your information accessible to you anytime via web-enabled devices, such as computers, smartphones and tablets.

What is included in a PHR?

In general, your PHR needs to include anything that helps you and your doctors manage your health — starting with the basics: Your doctor's names and phone numbers. Allergies, including drug allergies. Your medications, including dosages. List and dates of illnesses and surgeries.

What does a medical ID do?

Medical ID can display medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type and emergency contacts. You can also use it to indicate if you're registered to be organ donor. It is important to make sure any apps you use are secure so that your information is kept private.

Can you create a separate PHR?

If that's the case, you may not want to create a separate, standalone PHR. However, you may want to consider having at least some basic information on hand in case of emergency, including advance directives, which outline your decisions about health care, such as whether to use life-support machines.

Electronic Medical Records

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are digital versions of the paper charts in clinician offices, clinics, and hospitals. EMRs contain notes and information collected by and for the clinicians in that office, clinic, or hospital and are mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment.

Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records (EHRs) are built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and are inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care.

Personal Health Records

Personal health records (PHRs) contain the same types of information as EHRs—diagnoses, medications, immunizations, family medical histories, and provider contact information—but are designed to be set up, accessed, and managed by patients.

For More Information

For more information on EMR s, EHR s, and PHR s, see the following resources.

What is patient portal?

Generally, part of the healthcare provider’s EHR, the patient portal allows patients to view their medical record, communicate with their provider, schedule and manage appointments, access health education material, check prescription refills, update their medical history and fill out intake forms, among other features.

How does a patient portal improve patient engagement?

Patient portals can foster patient engagement which, in turn, improves health outcomes and reduces healthcare costs by facilitating the process of communicating and sharing information between patients and providers. With better communication, patient engagement is enhanced as patients become more involved in their care and providers can also monitor patients more effectively and provide vital information to them when needed.

What is the impact of older adults with less access to and experience with technology, less education, and who demonstrate low health

Research indicates that that older adults with less access to and experience with technology, less education, and who demonstrate low health literacy and numeracy skills experience greater difficulty using patient portals.

Do providers use patient portals?

Providers generally adopt patient portals at a rate slightly below the EHR adoption rate. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 9 out of 10 health care providers that participated in HHS's Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program offered their patients an EHR patient portal. However, the same report notes that only one-third of patients actually use the patient portal. In a 2017 survey conducted by the Medical Group Management Association, which examined how patients used patient portals, the results indicate 29% use patient portals to access test results, with 28% using the feature for bill payment, communicating with providers and medical staff, downloading or transmitting medical records, and scheduling appointments.

Is Apple Health Records beta?

An example of a recent effort to integrate mobile technology with patient portals can be found in the Apple Health Records beta program. On July 2, Apple announced the participation of healthcare organizations in the program which would enable patients to access health records on iPhone, directly in the phone’s Health app.

Is patient portal security important?

The security of data transmitted to a patient portal presents a major concern given that transmitted sensitive data to a patient who is accessing their records off-site can open up new avenues for hackers to breach patient privacy. Further, patient side security is also a significant concern as patients who fail to secure their login credentials may fall victim to unauthorized access to their personal health information. Lastly, as mobile access to patient portals increases, legal concerns have been raised as to whether mobile apps linked to a patient portal fall under HIPAA or a developer's own privacy policy, creating potential compliance traps for healthcare organizations.

What is the importance of recording and storing patient medical records?

Capturing, recording and storing patient medical data is a crucial component of all medical practices. Gone are the days when all patient information was transcribed onto paper and stored in filing cabinets. Before long, every patient’s medical records will be kept in a computer file that is accessible to all their physicians, ...

What is an EHR?

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) The EHR is designed to be a complete electronic record of a patient, from birth to death. Different care settings and institutions are combined into aggregated data and shown in a single record.

What is EMR in medical?

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) The EMR usually focuses on a particular medical specialty, such as neurology. These records can be made for a department in a hospital or a group of patients’ medical data from all the departments at one site of a hospital. These records usually stay within the group. The records may be shared within different sites ...

What are the different types of electronic records?

The three major types of electronic records are Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). Each of the terms describes a st ructured, digitized and fully accessible patient record. Although they sound like slightly different names for the same thing, there are differences.

Where are medical records kept?

Before long, every patient’s medical records will be kept in a computer file that is accessible to all their physicians, health technicians and health care institutions. Medical offices and hospitals are hard at work to finish these conversions.

Is it safe to keep medical records on a computer?

The Future of Patient’s Medical Record Keeping. Although some people are uneasy about having their records stored on computers, the fact is that the records are actually safer and more private. If records are stored electronically, they can be well protected by the competent use of passwords.

Can records be shared between hospitals?

The records may be shared within different sites of the institution, but never between hospitals. This term is used in North America and in the Asia-Pacific countries. It is usually not used in Europe.

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Tethered Personal Health Records Versus Patient Portals

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A tethered PHR, as defined by the ONC, is an online interface tied to an EHR with which patients may view and sometimes interact with their health data. “The patient accesses the information through a secure portal,” ONC says. “Typically, patients can view information such as lab results, immunization history or due dat…
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What Is A Standalone Personal Health Record?

  • The ONC defines a standalone PHR as: “[A system where] patients fill in the information from their own records and memories and the data is stored on the patients’ computers or on the internet. Patients can decide whether to share the information with providers, family members, or anyone else involved in their care. In some cases, information can be downloaded from other sources in…
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PHRs, Patient Portals, and Interoperability Hurdles

  • Standalone and tethered PHRs offer several of the same patient engagement benefits, and they also suffer from several of the same disadvantages. With all of these data storage options and ongoing industry struggles with interoperability,there are many opportunities for data to become siloed. For standalone PHRs, interoperability can cause issues for patients who want to offer a p…
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