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Electronic Health Records (EHRs) constitute evidence of online health information management. Critical healthcare information technology (HIT) infrastructure facilitates health information exchange of 'modern' health systems. The growth and implementation of EHRs are progressing in many countries while the adoption rate is lagging and lacking momentum amidst privacy and security concerns. This paper uses an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of OECD data related to EHRs from many countries to make predictions about EHR adoption. The ITS model can be used to explore the impact of various HIT on adoption. Assumptions about the impact of Information Accountability are entered into the model to generate projections if information accountability technologies are developed. In this way, the OECD data and ITS analysis can be used to perform simulations for improving EHR adoption.

Continuous monitoring of patient's physiological signs has the potential to augment traditional medical practice, particularly in developing countries that have a shortage of healthcare professionals. However, continuously streamed data presents additional security, storage and retrieval challenges and further inhibits initiatives to integrate data to form electronic health record systems. Blockchain technologies enable data to be stored securely and inexpensively without recourse to a trusted authority. Blockchain technologies also promise to provide architectures for electronic health records that do not require huge government expenditure that challenge developing nations. However, Blockchain deployment, particularly with streamed data challenges existing Blockchain algorithms that take too long to place data in a block, and have no mechanism to determine whether every data point in every stream should be stored in such a secure way. This article presents an architecture that involves a Patient Agent, coordinating the insertion of continuous data streams into Blockchains to form an electronic health record.

Health-related data is stored in a number of repositories that are managed and controlled by different entities. For instance, Electronic Health Records are usually administered by governments. Electronic Medical Records are typically controlled by health care providers, whereas Personal Health Records are managed directly by patients. Recently, Blockchain-based health record systems largely regulated by technology have emerged as another type of repository. Repositories for storing health data differ from one another based on cost, level of security and quality of performance. Not only has the type of repositories increased in recent years, but the quantum of health data to be stored has increased. For instance, the advent of wearable sensors that capture physiological signs has resulted in an exponential growth in digital health data. The increase in the types of repository and amount of data has driven a need for intelligent processes to select appropriate repositories as data is collected. However, the storage allocation decision is complex and nuanced. The challenges are exacerbated when health data are continuously streamed, as is the case with wearable sensors. Although patients are not always solely responsible for determining which repository should be used, they typically have some input into this decision. Patients can be expected to have idiosyncratic preferences regarding storage decisions depending on their unique contexts. In this paper, we propose a predictive model for the storage of health data that can meet patient needs and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with data streaming from wearable sensors. The model is built with a machine learning classifier that learns the mapping between characteristics of health data and features of storage repositories from a training set generated synthetically from correlations evident from small samples of experts. Results from the evaluation demonstrate the viability of the machine learning technique used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an individual's record of all health events that enables critical information to be documented and shared electronically amongst health care providers and patients. The introduction of an EHR, particularly a patient-accessible EHR, can be expected to lead to an escalation of enquiries, complaints and ultimately, disputes. Prevailing opinion is that Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems can help with the mediation of certain types of disputes electronically, particularly systems which deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce the need for a human mediator. However, disputes regarding health tend to invoke emotional responses from patients that may conceivably impact ODR efficacy. This raises an interesting question on the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) in the process of mediation. Using a phenomenological research methodology simulating doctor–patient disputes mediated with an AI Smart ODR system in place of a human mediator, we found an association between EI and the propensity for a participant to change their previously asserted claims. Our results indicate participants with lower EI tend to prolong resolution compared to those with higher EI. Future research include trialling larger scale ODR systems for specific cohorts of patients in the area of health related dispute resolution are advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]