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The digital divide can hinder the ability of elderly patients to fully benefit from PHRs. They are "digital immigrants", not having the life-long exposure to technology as younger generations, as well as physical and cognitive disabilities. The aim of this study was to explore the digital divide as a barrier for the use of a PHR in older adults (69 years of age) and describe the use of a PHR in an elderly population in Argentina. We conducted a cross sectional study which included older adults who attended the Coronavirus vaccination campaign in 2021. Data were collected through a survey encompassing digital divide factors and use of the PHR. A total of 128 participants agreed to complete the survey, 60.15% reported using the PHR. We found a statistically significant correlation of education level, having a personal computer and internet access with PHR use. Concerning PHR users, 45.45% reported needing assistance to use it. Although the elderly population represents a large portion of patients, there is not enough research done on their use experience using eHealth solutions. There is pending work in the eHealth field to integrate these elders into current PHRs and help them enjoy their benefits.

Personal health records could help patients overcome the anxiety related to gaps on health related information. The objective of this research was to explore what type of information was perceived by patients as useful to receive as a notification on their PHR as a framework for the design of a patient-centered notification system. We applied a qualitative approach followed by usability tests. From interviews to patients, we obtained main categories of notifications to include according to its perceived usefulness while, from iterative usability tests, we obtained a final version of prototypes developed according to patient-interface interaction experiences. This research helped us to understand patients needs and behavior to design an efficient notification system and also represents the first step for the development of clinical decision support systems for patients into the PHR with the potential to improve clinical outcomes and healthcare delivery.

Immunization information systems and registries are essential for vaccine programs to succeed. Personal Health Record should improve decision making of healthcare providers and consumer outcomes. This article aims to describe the software development of an immunization module using a user-centered design, starting from the analysis of potential users' needs. The design was made through cycles of iterations, adjustments were made validating real scenarios and taking into account the user needs. The main features identified through interviews were: vaccination schedule, further information on vaccines' usefulness, notification, downloadable patient vaccination status and other vaccines outside the official calendar. The final scope is to create a simple, efficient and safe platform for patient immunization management.

With the adoption of Personal Health Records (PHRs) integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and the increase of accessibility to data, institutions have the possibility of exchanging medical information with their patients. Involving the patient reported data has the potential to improve the quality of care and safety and create a feedback loop between patients and health professionals. The objective of this study is to describe a user-centered design of a module for medication list with reconciliation functionalities managed by the patients themselves, and connected to their EHR for supervision and medical validation. We conducted 42 interviews (31 patients and 11 general practitioners). From the interviews, we performed qualitative analysis and extracted the main findings from comments in both groups. Correctitude rate was 57 to 100%, and satisfaction of use (SUS) maximum was 96% and 92%. These findings may be relevant to patients, health care providers, and policymakers.

Technology has led to the communication of the hospitalized patient and their family with clinical knowledge. The objective of this study is to describe the rate of use of the Inpatient Personal Health Record of Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and September of 2018. The rate of use was 2.10% (95% CI 1.89-2.32). The most used functionalities were analyzed. New strategies are needed to improve the rate of use.

Health information and communication technologies such as telemedicine provide alternatives for patient and physician communication. An increasing number of patients, providers and institutions are using this technologies to seek or provide health care. Asynchronous consultations requires a service of storing and forwarding health related information by the patient to the specialist physician or other healthcare provider. Dermatology is one of the major medical specialties in which telemedicine as proven benefits. There are many described deployments of asynchronous teleconsultation for dermatology, but in most cases telemedicine applications work as stand alone solutions. The present work describes the design and deployment of an asynchronous dermatological teleconsultation service which uses the interaction of the Electronic Health Record and the Personal Health Record in a high complexity university hospital.