The Role of Personal Health Information Management in Promoting Patient Safety in the Home: A Qualitative Analysis

Patient safety is a critical component of health care services; however, it has beent mostly conceptualized for the hospital sector. As home health care expands, it is important to examine for personal health information management (PHIM) tools to support and maximize patient safety. The goal of this study is to explore how PHIM can be a facilitator for patient safety in the home. We explore a comprehensive framework of patient safety in the home and identify the role of PHIM in this context. We analyzed the coded transcripts of in-depth interviews with 88 older adults (60 year and older), 56 family members or informal caregivers and 27 clinicians. Findings demonstrate the physical, emotional, social and functional dimensions of patient safety in the home and concrete ways for informatics tools to maximize safety aspects.