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. 2021 Jun 7;23(6):e25236.
doi: 10.2196/25236.

Personal Health Information Management Among Older Adults: Scoping Review

Malgorzata Kolotylo-Kulkarni #  1 , Deborah E Seale  2 , Cynthia M LeRouge  3
Affiliations

Personal Health Information Management Among Older Adults: Scoping Review

Malgorzata Kolotylo-Kulkarni et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Older adults face growing health care needs and could potentially benefit from personal health information management (PHIM) and PHIM technology. To ensure effective PHIM and to provide supportive tools, it is crucial to investigate the needs, challenges, processes, and tools used by this subpopulation. The literature on PHIM by older adults, however, remains scattered and has not provided a clear picture of what we know about the elements that play a role in older adults' PHIM.

Objective: The goal of our review was to provide a comprehensive overview of extant knowledge on PHIM by older adults, establish the status quo of research on this topic, and identify research gaps.

Methods: We carried out a scoping review of the literature from 1998 to 2020, which followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. First, we executed a broad and structured search. We then carried out a qualitative analysis of papers pertinent to the topic taking into consideration the five elements of the patient work system as follows: (1) personal-level factors, (2) PHIM tasks, (3) tools used, (4) physical settings of PHIM activities, and (5) socio-organizational aspects.

Results: The review included 22 studies. Consolidated empirical evidence was related to all elements of the patient work system. Multiple personal factors affected PHIM. Various types of personal health information were managed (clinical, patient-generated, and general) and tools were used (electronic, paper-based, and others). Older adults' PHIM was intertwined with their surroundings, and various individuals participated. The largest body of evidence concerned personal factors, while findings regarding the physical environment of PHIM were scarce. Most research has thus far examined older adults as a single group, and scant attention has been paid to age subgroups.

Conclusions: Opportunities for further PHIM studies remain across all elements of the patient work system in terms of empirical, design science, or review work.

Keywords: consumer health informatics; health information management; information management; medical informatics; patient participation; personal health information management; scoping review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Person-related factors affecting personal health information management (PHIM) and PHIM tool use.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Personal health information management (PHIM) tasks carried out by older adults.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Physical environment of personal health information management by older adults. PHI: personal health information.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Socio-organizational environment of older adult's personal health information management: stakeholders involved.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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