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Personal Health Records functionality checklist

This checklist is based on our review of existing Personal Health Records. A single PHR is unlikely to offer all of these functionalities.

The checklist will be helpful when specifying requirements for a future PHR system. It is not intended to be a menu structure for a PHR.


Validating and verifying PHR users’ identities


Reliable resources and content

  • URL links 
  • Links to patient or specialist forums  
  • Syndication of content from the NHS website 
  • Education materials (including terminology explanations for citizens) 
  • Eligibility calculators for social care 
  • Service search based on input information 
  • Service directories for health, statutory and private and voluntary services 
  • Event calendars for voluntary services 
  • News or RSS feeds 
  • Targeted information based on health and wellbeing profile 
  • Drug contra-indications 
  • Health and care videos relating to care and treatment  

Transactions

  • Apply or self-refer for services 
  • Book, cancel, or amend appointments 
  • Subscribe or opt-in preferences (email, SMS, secure mail, or letter) for comms and clinical info (such as test results) 
  • Opt-in for notification of clinical trials 
  • Advise change of circumstances (change of address, deceased or levels of savings) 
  • Report inaccuracy of my record or details 
  • Procurement of care services through Digital Marketplace or Dynamic Purchasing System  
  • Request repeat prescriptions
  • Surveys or questionnaires, for example Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), Patient reported experience measures (PREMs), or Holistic needs assessment (HNA)  
  • Payment of services (health and social care)

Data generated by citizen (health, social care and life)

  • Key information that providers need to know about me (citizen) 
  • Manual recording of readings from devices and applications (such as blood pressure, blood glucose, International Normalised Ratio (INR) readings or Spirometer) 
  • Automated input from devices and applications downloaded by citizens  
  • Automated input from devices and applications prescribed or provided by clinicians  
  • Self-recording and monitoring, for example electronic recording of weight, diet, symptoms or mood  
  • Self-recording diaries and journals (daily observations and symptoms) 
  • Self-recording of goals or goal-setting (life, health, or social) 
  • Self-recording key life events (e.g. loss of employment)  
  • Medications, for example prescribed and self-prescribed, including vitamins 
  • Self-recording of allergies 
  • Self-recording of vaccinations and immunisations 
  • Self-recording of 'end of life’ wishes or advanced care directives, such as blood transfusions, burial wishes or organ donation 
  • Upload media (for example audio or video) 

Presenting data from professional records to the citizen

  • Professional health and care team (contact details) 
  • Care plans, such as support and recovery plans, self-management action plans, or long-term condition management plans  
  • Reviews 
  • Test results 
  • Diagnoses 
  • Procedures 
  • Prescriptions 
  • Medications 
  • Allergies 
  • Alerts (including social care alerts, such as winter care plan)
  • Vaccinations and immunisations 
  • Reminders (appointments, activities and tasks, or medications) 
  • End of life wishes or advanced care directives, for example blood transfusions, burial wishes, or organ donation 
  • Status on pathway   
  • Waiting list status (such as procedures or transplants) 
  • View future and historic appointments  
  • View statement of financial account for personal budgets 

Share my data

  • Legal powers (legal guardian and power of attorney) 
  • Delegated access (proxy): control my data on behalf of me 
  • My circle of care (including formal and informal carers): view my data 
  • Control types of data different people can view 
  • Visible audit trail of those accessing records 

Communication

  • Secure messaging to care team 
  • Secure Email 
  • Text messaging or SMS 
  • Peer chat group 
  • Video consultation

Viewing correspondence (citizen and professional)

  • General correspondence, for example appointment letters and education materials 
  • Prescriptions, including private prescriptions 
  • Discharge letters, clinical letters, or summaries 
  • Images and photographs, such as x-rays or images of injuries 
  • Copies of care plans and reviews

Further information

internal Personal Health Records adoption toolkit

This toolkit supports health and care organisations in England to commission, develop or manage Personal Health Records (PHRs) and other citizen-facing tools.

internal Developing a Personal Health Record

Find technical architectures and components, our functionality checklist, review standards and browse information governance guidelines.

Last edited: 19 October 2022 2:31 pm