Answer:
Personal Health Records (PHRs) are digital records that allow patients to have access to their long-term and current health information, including medical history, lab results, immunizations, medications, and other relevant health data. PHRs can improve the delivery of healthcare in a variety of ways, both for the patient and the public in general.
For patients, PHRs can provide them with greater control, autonomy, and access to their healthcare information, allowing them to take an active role in their own healthcare. This encourages better communication between the patient and their healthcare provider, and allows the patient to be better informed about their healthcare decisions. PHRs can also provide patients with access to their health information anywhere, anytime, allowing for better continuity of care.
For healthcare systems and the public in general, PHRs can help to improve clinical decision making, reduce medical errors, and provide better tracking of population health trends. This can help to reduce healthcare costs and improve the overall efficiency of the healthcare system. Additionally, PHRs can help healthcare providers to make better use of resources and better target preventive care, leading to improved patient outcomes.
Overall, PHRs have the potential to transform healthcare delivery in a positive way, by providing patients with greater access to their healthcare information and allowing healthcare systems to better track population health trends.