Week 4: Discussion: Your Patient Has a Personal Health Record . . . Now What?
Purpose
This week's graded discussion topic relates to the following Course Outcomes (COs).
CO4 Investigate safeguards and decision-making support tools embedded in patientcare
technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for
bothpatients and healthcare workers. (PO 4)
CO5 Identify patient care technologies, information systems, and communicationdevices
that support safe nursing practice. (PO 5)
Discussion
Case Study: A 65-year-old woman was just been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. She was informed of this diagnosis in her primary care physician's office. She leaves
her physician's office and goes home to review all of her tests and lab results with her family.
She goes home and logs into her PHR. She is only able to pull up a portion of her test results.
She calls her physician's office with concern. The office staff discussed that she had gone to
receive part of her lab work at a lab not connected to the organization, part was completed at the
emergency room, and part was completed in the lab that is part of the doctor's office
organization.
The above scenario might be a scenario that you have commonly worked with in clinical
practice. For many reasons, patients often receive healthcare from multiple organizations that
might have different systems.
As you review this scenario, reflect and answer these questions for this discussion.
What are the pros and cons of the situation in the case study?
What safeguards are included in patient portals and PHRs to help patients and
healthcare professionals ensure safety?
Do you agree or disagree with this process?
What are challenges for patients that do not have access to all of the EHRs? Remember,
only portions of the EHRs are typically included in the PHRs.
Purpose
This week's graded discussion topic relates to the following Course Outcomes (COs).
CO4 Investigate safeguards and decision-making support tools embedded in patientcare
technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for
bothpatients and healthcare workers. (PO 4)
CO5 Identify patient care technologies, information systems, and communicationdevices
that support safe nursing practice. (PO 5)
Discussion
Case Study: A 65-year-old woman was just been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. She was informed of this diagnosis in her primary care physician's office. She leaves
her physician's office and goes home to review all of her tests and lab results with her family.
She goes home and logs into her PHR. She is only able to pull up a portion of her test results.
She calls her physician's office with concern. The office staff discussed that she had gone to
receive part of her lab work at a lab not connected to the organization, part was completed at the
emergency room, and part was completed in the lab that is part of the doctor's office
organization.
The above scenario might be a scenario that you have commonly worked with in clinical
practice. For many reasons, patients often receive healthcare from multiple organizations that
might have different systems.
As you review this scenario, reflect and answer these questions for this discussion.
What are the pros and cons of the situation in the case study?
What safeguards are included in patient portals and PHRs to help patients and
healthcare professionals ensure safety?
Do you agree or disagree with this process?
What are challenges for patients that do not have access to all of the EHRs? Remember,
only portions of the EHRs are typically included in the PHRs.
