Exploration of the Personal Health Record as a Tool for Spinal Cord Injury Health ­Self-Management and Coordination of Care

A personal health record (PHR) allows patients to manage their health data from various sources, promoting proactive care coordination. This study aimed to understand the successes, failures, and potential improvements of MyPHR, a PHR designed for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), to enhance care coordination and self-management. The study found that carefully selecting relevant information for patients to track and providing continuous support and communication with the clinical team are crucial for effective PHR implementation.

• 1
  Participants successfully captured various health data in their MyPHRs from providers, pharmacies, and activity trackers, demonstrating the potential for personalized healthcare after SCI.
• 2
  The effort required to manage health information in MyPHR was perceived as too high compared to the utility gained, especially when data required verification and manual editing.
• 3
  Participants emphasized the importance of using MyPHR to enhance communication between patients and clinicians, with a care coordinator playing a crucial role in monitoring activity and mediating information.