Attitudes of medical students toward personal health records

Background: The increase in use of electronic health records (EHR) has led to research of physician attitudes toward the EHR. Similarly, papers have been published in an attempt to provide an adequate definition of a personal health record (PHR) with considerable exploration of patient attitudes towards the concept and usage of these devices. However, there has been little investigation into the opinions of physicians, medical students, and other healthcare providers on the concept and execution of PHRS. Purpose/Objective: This study explored the attitudes of medical students toward PHR concepts. Methods: First, 14 medical students participated in one of two focus groups. Third and fourth year students participated in a recorded discussion about PHRs. Themes were identified through emergent coding methodology. Second, a 36-item electronic survey was administered to the fourth year medical students in further evaluate the themes derived from the focus groups. Results: Qualitative results indicated students had both positive and negative reactions to PHR concepts. They recognized an opportunity for data collection, patient education, and portability of health information in emergencies. They also identified potential drawbacks, such as data vulnerability, overwhelming patient input/feedback to physician, limited reimbursement potential, and current lack of necessary infrastructure for implementation. Quantitative survey results showed students generally agreed that PHRs could be clinically useful, beneficial to patient care, and safely utilized. Discussion: Focus group and survey responses were consistent. Generally, medical students have a positive outlook on the use of PHRs, with mixed feelings about system feasibility and how they would be implemented. Core PHR concepts such as improved patient access, communication, and continuity-of-care were widely supported. Although seen as a helpful too for their future patients, medical students did not see a personal benefit to using a PHR for themselves.