707 discussion 2 - Assignment Example

707 discussion 2 January 13, 707 discussion 2 As a DNP nurse leader, I would recommend tethered personal health records (PHR)to clients and the scope of the PHR and its associated advantages inform my position. Under the system, a patient’s information is linked to a healthcare facility and a patient can access his or her information through a secure link and can communicate to the facility through messages (Nelson and Staggers, 2013). There is therefore information backup, and therefore security of a patient’s information, as compared to un-tethered PHR type.

The PHR type also offers a secure link between patients and their linked care providers for secure communication, medication, and planning for provision of care. In addition, tethered PHR also offers patients’ access to medical information and can therefore promote self-care for better quality of health (Health IT, 2013).PHR influence health information exchange though provision of data bank on a patient’s information, from a patient’s records. It therefore promotes communication between a patient and healthcare personnel, with the patient as the source of information.

An electronic health record, however, is a maintained database by healthcare facility that uses electronic systems and offers access of the information to authorized care personnel or care facilities. The system therefore facilitates exchange of among healthcare facilities, departments, or healthcare personnel. Consequently, PHR has the advantage of facilitated communication for diagnosis and timely care delivery (Health IT, 2013) while electronic health records has the advantages of minimizing chances of medical mistakes and ensuring appropriate care through updating care personnel (Medicare, n.d.).

The main disadvantage of PHR is its limited scope of information transfer and possible unreliability of information source, a patient who may lack medical expertise, while the main disadvantage of electronic health records is possible breach of confidentiality and privacy due to information access by multiple personnel and at multiple access points.ReferencesHealth IT. (2013). Are there different types of personal health records (PHRs)? Health IT. Retrieved from: http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/are-there-different-types-personal-health-records-phrs.

Medicare. (n.d.). Electronic health records (EHRs). Medicare. Retrieved from: http://www.medicare.gov/manage-your-health/electronic-health-records/electronic-health-records.html. Nelson, R. and Staggers, N. (2013). Health informatics: An interpersonal approach. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences.