Discussion Question
Case Study: A 65-year-old woman was just been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was informed of this diagnosis in her primary care physician's office. She leaves her physician's office and goes home to review all of her tests and lab results with her family. She goes home and logs into her PHR. She is only able to pull up a portion of her test results. She calls her physician's office with this concern. The office staff discussed that she had part of her lab work completed at a lab not connected to the organization, part was completed at the emergency room, and part was completed in the lab that is part of the doctor's office organization.
The above scenario might be a scenario that you have commonly worked with in clinical practice. For many reasons, patients often receive healthcare from multiple organizations that might have different systems.
As you review this scenario, reflect and answer these questions for this discussion.
• What are the pros and cons of the situation in the case study?
• What safeguards are included in patient portals and PHRs to help patients and healthcare professionals ensure safety?
• Do you agree or disagree with the way that a patient obtains Personal Health Records (PHRs)?
• What are challenges for patients that do not have access to all of the PHRs? Remember, only portions of the EHRs are typically included in the PHRs.
Guide On Rating System
Vote
Pros of the situation in the case study:
- The patient has access to her test results and can review them with her family, which allows for better understanding and decision-making
- The patient is proactive in managing her own health by using the patient portal
- The patient can communicate her concern to the physician's office and potentially have the missing test results resolved
Cons of the situation in the case study:
- The patient is unable to access all of her test results, which can cause confusion and anxiety
- Different systems used by different healthcare organizations can lead to fragmented health information and difficulty in comprehensively managing the patient's healthcare
- The patient may not be aware of the need to request all test results to be included in the patient portal or PHR
Safeguards included in patient portals and PHRs to ensure safety:
- Secure login credentials, such as unique usernames and passwords, to protect patient privacy
- Encryption of data transmitted between the patient and the portal/PHR to ensure confidentiality
- Authorization mechanisms to control who has access to the patient's information
- Audit logs to track who has accessed the patient's information and when
- Patient education on the importance of safeguarding login credentials and not sharing them with others
Agree or disagree with the way a patient obtains PHRs:
This is subjective and depends on individual preferences. Some patients may find it convenient and empowering to have access to their own health records through patient portals and PHRs, as it allows them to take an active role in their healthcare. Others may have concerns about privacy and security, or may prefer to have healthcare professionals manage their health information.
Challenges for patients without access to all PHRs:
- Incomplete information can lead to gaps in understanding the patient's health status and treatment history
- Difficulty coordinating care among different healthcare providers, as each provider may have access to different parts of the patient's health record
- Increased risk of medical errors or duplicate tests if healthcare providers are not aware of all relevant information
- Limited ability for patients to advocate for themselves and actively participate in decision-making about their healthcare
Got a question with my answer?
Cheapmath.com is completely free!
Asking question is free.
Getting answers is free.
+99