Personal Health Records and Elder Medication Use Quality

Purpose: To examine the impact of a personal health record (PHR) on medication use safety among older adults. Background: Online PHRs have potential as tools to manage health information. We know little about how to make PHRs accessible for older adults and what effects this will have. Methods: A PHR was designed and pretested with older adults and tested in a six-month randomized controlled trial. After completing mailed baseline questionnaires, eligible computer users aged 65 and over were randomized 3:1 to be given access to a PHR (n=802) or serve as a standard care control group (n=273). Follow-up questionnaires measured change from baseline medication use, medication reconciliation behaviors, and medication management problems.