Family physicians' perspectives on personal health records: qualitative study.

Objective: To explore FPs' perspectives on the value of personal health records (PHRs) in primary care and the implementation and adoption of PHRs in Canada.

Design: A qualitative design using semistructured interviews.

Setting: Southwestern Ontario.

Participants: Ten FPs.

Methods: The 10 FPs participated in semistructured interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. An iterative approach using immersion and crystallization was employed for analysis.

Main Findings: Participants were generally positive about PHRs, and were attracted to their portability and potential to engage patients in health care. Their concerns focused on 3 main themes: data management, practice management, and the patient-physician relationship. Subthemes included security, privacy, reliability of data, workload, remuneration, physician obligations, patient misinterpretation of medical information, and electronic communication displacing face-to-face visits. Participants identified 3 key facilitators for adoption of PHR systems: integration with existing electronic health record systems, ease of use without being a burden on either time or money, and offering a demonstrated added value to family practice.

Conclusion: This study replicates previously published literature about FP concerns and opinions, and it further identifies remuneration as a potential barrier in Canadian fee-for-service payment models. Participants identified 3 key facilitators, which were suggested for implementation and adoption of PHRs, providing a basis for future research and development of these systems for use in Canadian family practice.