Claudio Eccher1, Lorenzo Gios2, Alberto Zanutto3, Giancarlo Bizzarri4, Diego Conforti5, Stefano Forti3. 1. Center for Information and Communication Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy. Electronic address: cleccher@fbk.eu. 2. TrentinoSalute 4.0, Competence Center for Digital Health, Trento, Italy. 3. Center for Information and Communication Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy. 4. Azienda Provinciale Servizi Sanitari, Trento, Italy. 5. Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Health care has been deeply revolutionized by the new wave of information and communication technology (ICT) development, particularly related to the electronic/personal health record (PHR). The present paper describes the original design and implementation approach followed in the Trentino Province (Italy) to promote an Integrated Care Model for patients' empowerment and data repository, by means of an evolving Personal Health Record - PHR platform, named TreC (Trentino Citizens Clinical Record). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TreC Platform is conceived as a communication hub among different stakeholders. The core assumption of the TreC platform strategy is to consider the citizen/patient as main manager and owner of both his/her own health and his/her contacts with the health care systems. RESULTS: Over the years, the TreC platform has represented the core pillar in the digitalization process promoted at Province level. This has been strategically embedded in the multi-faceted e-government strategy endorsed by the Province of Trento. So far (October 2018), more than 89,000 citizens within the Province of Trento are using TreC platform as a way to communicate with the health care system and access their own personal health records. CONCLUSIONS: The experience gained through the TreC platform implementation and its results are promising, supporting the idea that a PHR platform can represent a key driving factor in improving health care quality and efficiency, both from a patient and a health care staff perspective.
INTRODUCTION: Health care has been deeply revolutionized by the new wave of information and communication technology (ICT) development, particularly related to the electronic/personal health record (PHR). The present paper describes the original design and implementation approach followed in the Trentino Province (Italy) to promote an Integrated Care Model for patients' empowerment and data repository, by means of an evolving Personal Health Record - PHR platform, named TreC (Trentino Citizens Clinical Record). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TreC Platform is conceived as a communication hub among different stakeholders. The core assumption of the TreC platform strategy is to consider the citizen/patient as main manager and owner of both his/her own health and his/her contacts with the health care systems. RESULTS: Over the years, the TreC platform has represented the core pillar in the digitalization process promoted at Province level. This has been strategically embedded in the multi-faceted e-government strategy endorsed by the Province of Trento. So far (October 2018), more than 89,000 citizens within the Province of Trento are using TreC platform as a way to communicate with the health care system and access their own personal health records. CONCLUSIONS: The experience gained through the TreC platform implementation and its results are promising, supporting the idea that a PHR platform can represent a key driving factor in improving health care quality and efficiency, both from a patient and a health care staff perspective.
Authors: Stephany N Duda; Nan Kennedy; Douglas Conway; Alex C Cheng; Viet Nguyen; Teresa Zayas-Cabán; Paul A Harris Journal: J Am Med Inform Assoc Date: 2022-08-16 Impact factor: 7.942