Smart Card Based Personal Health Records System for Interoperability

Abstract

Healthcare systems in both developed and the developing nations face numerous challenges such as lack of interoperability and limited personal medical records portability. Lack of conceivable personal health record’s portability has resulted to medical data silos. Patients are seeking more control over their personal health records but unfortunately due to medical data silos, they are unable to access and efficiently give out their medical data with healthcare givers across the healthcare space when seeking treatment. The research aimed at demonstrating the capability of a smart card based personal health records intervention using a prototype, guided by: - assessing the use of smart-cards in medical care; finding out ways of enabling patients have more control over their own personal health records; assessing the challenges healthcare workers experience in sharing personal medical data with patients and finally establishing the minimum data set vital for provisioning continuity of medical care. The main limitation of this intervention is the need for multi-stake holder participation and cooperation so as to realize all the benefits of its implementation. The research concluded that: - majority of patients don’t have access or power over their individual medical health data; there is little use of smart health cards; medical tests is the most vital information needed for continuity of medical care, and that sharing of personal medical data is majorly manual physical files and word of mouth. Finally, the research concluded that the intervention suggested bridges the medical data silos and gives patients control over their personal health records and advanced sharing capabilities across the healthcare sector. The research recommended that the government through the Ministries of Health in both National and County Governments to actively participate in the implementation of eHealth projects and initiatives. Additionally, healthcare facilities should be more willing to participate in breaking data silos by sharing patient’s data through government provided and monitored patient data communication bus. Moreover, the use of smart health cards to share personal health records should be encouraged in the healthcare domain. Finally, the research recommended that patients should be encouraged to participation in their own health by empowering them to access, own and have control over their own personal health records; this involvement will help improve health outcomes through reliable and effective medical data access and sharing.