PCC TF-1/XPHR

XPHR Integration Profile

The Exchange of Personal Health Record Content (XPHR) integration profile describes the content and format of summary information extracted from a PHR system used by a patient for import into healthcare provider information systems, and visa versa. The purpose of this profile is to support interoperability between PHR systems used by patients and the information systems used by healthcare providers. This profile does not address all the data exchange requirements of PHR systems. A PHR system may leverage other IHE Integration and Content Profiles for interoperability in addition to the XPHR Content Profile. For example, a PHR Systems may implement XDS-MS to import medical summaries produced by EHR systems, XDS-I to import imaging information, XDS-Lab to import laboratory reports, et cetera.

Exchange of Personal Health Record Content (XPHR)

Upon seeing a healthcare provider for the first time, patients are requested to provide a great deal of information, including, their address, telephone numbers, birth date, sex, marital status, emergency contacts, insurance information, a medical and family history, and current medications and allergies. This information is also reviewed and updated on subsequent visits. This information is usually obtained by having the patient fill out one or more forms, whose contents are then manually transferred in to the information systems used by the healthcare provider. Automating this process will reduce transcription errors during the transfer of information, speed up the registration and check-in processes for patients, and also makes it possible for patients to have more participation in the management of their health information.

Providers also need to participate in helping patients to manage their healthcare information, however, providers should not be solely responsible for updating the patient's health record, since they often are only participating in a portion of the patient's overall health activities.

While PHR systems will allow patients to manage their healthcare information, and EHR and other information systems allow healthcare providers to manage the electronic records they maintain for their patients, but these two systems, operating separately, are not sufficient to allow patients and providers to collaborate in the care of the patient. What is needed is a way to integrate the activities of patients using a PHR system and healthcare providers using an EHR or other information system to provide for collaborative care between the patient and their provider.

The XPHR profile is intended to provide a mechanism for patients to supply the information most often requested by their healthcare providers, and to allow those same providers to assist patients in keeping their personal healthcare information up to date. It achieves this by allowing patients to provide a summary of their PHR information to providers, and gives providers a mechanism to suggest updates to the patient's PHR upon completion of a healthcare encounter.