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Yearb Med Inform 2012; 21(01): 56-64
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1639431
Working Group Contribution
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart

Empowering Patients: Making Health Information and Systems Safer for Patients and the Public

Contribution of the IMIA Health Informatics for Patient Safety Working Group
E. M. Borycki
1   IMIA Patient Safety Working Group Co-Chair, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
,
F. M. S. Househ
2   King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
,
A. W. Kushniruk
1   IMIA Patient Safety Working Group Co-Chair, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
,
C. Nohr
3   Aalborg University, Department of Development and Planning, Virtual Centre for Health Informatics, Aalborg, Denmark
,
H. Takeda
4   IMIA Patient Safety Working Group Co-Chair, Jikei Institute, Osaka, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
10 March 2018 (online)

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Summary

Objectives

The objectives of this paper are to explore issues and perspectives from four regions of the world where health information systems are contributing to patient empowerment and influencing patient safety.

Methods

Members of the IMIA Working Group for Health Information Systems Safety came together to explore global issues at the intersection of health information systems safety, patient empowerment and patient safety. The group carried out a review and synthesis of the empirical and grey literature in four different regions/countries of the world that have differing health information system safety priorities.

Results

Regions/countries from differing parts of the world are developing: (1) high quality, safe information for individuals to use in their health related decision making, (2) patient portals and testing them for their safety, (3) methods for identifying unsafe health information system features and functions, and (4) ways of engaging citizens in identifying unsafe features and functions of health information systems.

Conclusions

Internationally, there has been a rise in the number of health information systems and technologies that are being developed to support patient care. The amount of health information available on the World Wide Web (WWW), and the use of mobile phone software to support consumer health behaviours and self-management of chronic illnesses has also grown. The use of some of these health informationsystems and technologies has helped citizens to improve their health status (e.g. patient portals, mobile phones). However, the safety of these systems and technologies has come into question. As a result, there is a need to refine these systems and ensure theirsafetywhentheyareusedbypatientsandtheirfamilies.

Keywords

Patient safety - health information systems safety - technology induced errors - international perspectives
 

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