Designing a HL7 compatible personal health record for mobile devices

Abstract

Personal health records (PHRs) support health self-management for any individual. Currently, smart phones and tablets are widespread among the population and can collect and visualize health data, and get home care plan instructions. In this paper we describe an Android based PHR system that guarantees technological and structural interoperability using technological and communicational standards, respectively. Grounded on the standard-based architecture by the Health Level Seven (HL7) organization, we describe a prototype implementing a HL7 compatible personal health record system. We considered some functionalities that may support the discovery of potential risk of cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death in industrialized countries according to the WHO (World Health Organization). This work aims at helping people raising their lives quality by participating in vital parameters' examinations. Individuals install a mobile Health app (called mHealth) on their devices and can directly exchange clinical and medical data with health care services through HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR). FHIR compliant JSON (Java Script Object Notation) encrypted files implement the integration architecture. Direct and standard information exchange based on a regular home care plan between a PHR system used by patients and a healthcare information system used by physicians can boost the active contribution of patients and caregivers to a safe homecare management. The proposed solution may provide faster and better care, reduce economic costs for National Health Services (NHS), and increase quality of individual's life. Moreover, by delivering healthcare services through a mobile application we can also overcome temporal and geographical barriers.

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