My HealthPortal® – Integrating personal health records and tailored online health management tools

Introduction: Web-based personal health records (PHRs) and disease self-management tools are increasingly available to patients directly, through HMOs or employers. PHRs may increase the locus of control and self-efficacy of patients, improve physician-patient sharing of clinical information, and reduce medical errors. Disease self-management tools are also proven to lead to successful weight loss, smoking cessation, and improved diabetic control. These benefits potentially improve disease outcomes, quality of life, and employee productivity. However, such innovations are offered in disparate systems, resulting compatibility issues and lack of information portability.

Intervention: In 2008, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) embarked on the development of my HealthPortal (MHP) to address the above challenges of disparate PHRs and disease management tools. MHP is a novel integrated web-based service that comprises: 1) a PHR, 2) an individualized health risk assessment tool, 3) evidence-based tailored online health management modules for weight control, smoking cessation, and type 2 diabetes mellitus self-management, and 4) self-monitoring tools MHP is targeted mainly at adult Singaporeans who are at-risk of chronic diseases (e.g. overweight individuals and smokers), and patients who have chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes and hypertension). The goals of MHP are to: 1) reduce the overall prevalence of chronic diseases associated with smoking and obesity, 2) improve disease outcomes and delay the onset of complications in patients with chronic diseases, and 3) promote health literacy and healthful behaviors.

Objectives: This paper aims to 1) describe the stages involved in developing MHP and 2) showcase various functionalities of the first phase of MHP.