elsewhere, and I have to keep my own records. For example: I get my yearly flu shot from my local pharmacy, my annual TB test from the county health department, and my dental records are with a practice that is not affiliated with any larger organization. A PHR would be a great place to store and organize all this information. Technology keeps offering new ways for patients to get information such as personal health records vs. patient portals. Telehealth , according to White (2015), is on the rise and more insurance companies are reimbursing providers for treating patients remotely. The technology used for telehealth has gotten more sophisticated and over the next decade, when combined with emerging healthcare technology, monitoring vital signs from afar will be achieved (White, 2015). If a patient can use an on-call doctor via telehealth when they are sick and if telehealth is becoming cheaper, easier, and safer for patients, then linking the patient’s telehealth information into a patient’s personal health record would one day become simultaneous. Then, if one day the patient does end up in the Emergency Room or at their next physician’s office visit, all the telehealth encounters would be visible to all providers. Barriers to widespread PHR adoption include user interface design and functionality not yet being up to consumer standards, and the lack of interoperability with EHRs. As long as consumers have to enter their information manually into PHRs, this tool will not be widely adopted. If PHRs that interface with the commonly used EHRs could be developed in a user- friendly smartphone app, then more patients might consider using a PHR. Additionally, the privacy and security features of the PHR app would have to be very strong, so people will feel that their PHI is secure.

Nelson, R., & Staggers, N. (2018). Health informatics: An interprofessional approach (2 nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. White, Jess. (August 6, 2015). 5 Technology Trends That Will Affect Hospital Care. Healthcare Business and Technology. Lars, Niles. (June 2014). Connected Medical Devices, Apps: Are They Leading the IOT