Kaiser study links PHRs to more preventative care

Young children whose parents used an integrated personal healthcare record (PHR) attended six or more of the recommended well-child care visits by 15 months of age, according to a Kaiser Permanente (KP) study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

KP’s PHR allows its members to view parts of their medical record, as well as immunizations and post-discharge instructions. Patients also can refill their prescriptions, check lab results and communicate with clinical staff.

Researchers examined data for 7,000 children ages two and under who were enrolled in KP’s health plans in Hawaii and northwest regions of the U.S. between January 2007 and July 2011.

In the study:

• Children in the northwest were 2.5 times more likely to attend all well-child visits when their parents used KP’s PHR
• Children in Hawaii were two times more likely to attend all-well child visits when parents accessed PHRs
• Children in the northwest were 1.2 times more likely to receive recommended vaccinations, with no statistically significant difference in Hawaii

“Our study found that in two demographically and geographically distinct regions in the United States, PHRs appear to be a viable tool to help ensure children adhere to recommended preventive care,” Jeffrey Tom, MD, MS, study lead author and assistant investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Hawaii, in a statement.