PHR Recommendations Included in Report

HDM Breaking News, October 1, 2008

Personal health records that serve merely as online filing systems will quickly become irrelevant, according to a report from Chilmark Research, Cambridge, Mass. To succeed, the report states, PHRs must “combine data analytics with personalization features and communication to deliver consumer-specific, clinically validated, actionable information.”

The research firm has issued a free 20-page executive summary of its “iPHR Market Report.”  The report is based on the research firm’s interviews with PHR vendors, their clients, employers and others.

The research concludes that gaining a return on a PHR investment will be contingent on providing consumers with information to promote changes in behaviors that reduce health risks.

The researchers contend that PHR vendors need to provide better structured templates to meet the informational needs of the chronically ill. And the report calls for a high level of security that “goes well beyond having 128-bit encryption for sign-on and includes fully encrypted communication.”

To view the executive summary, visit chilmarkresearch.com.

The full 100-page report is available for $2,495.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:

• Consumer Health
• Electronic Health Records
• Hospitals
• Group Practices
• Payers