209633 My HealthPortal® – Integrating personal health records and tailored online health management tools

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Andy Tan, MBBS, MPH, MBA , Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Handy Amin, BBA(H) , Active Health Management, Health Promotion Board, Singapore, Singapore
Akila Andiappan, MBBS , Active Health Management, Health Promotion Board, Singapore, Singapore
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.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the stages involved in developing MHP 2. Demonstrate various key functionalities of the first phase of MHP 3. Discuss the challenges and considerations in implementing MHP

Keywords: Health Information Systems, Disease Management

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: 1. Project co-manager for my Health Portal (MHP) from Dec 2007 to Aug 2008. 2. Responsible for design and localization of personal health records (PHR) system and disease self-management tools modules of MHP 3. Evaluated tender proposals for first phase of MHP 4. Conducted user-acceptance testing for first phase of MHP 5. Completed medical training and graduate program in public health (Johns Hopkins) 6. Obtained 5 years of working experience in public health and health promotion
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.