Consumer-Facing Online Information about MyHR

Article Title: A Content Analysis of the Consumer-facing Online Information about My Health Record: Implications for Increasing Knowledge and Awareness to Facilitate Uptake and Use

Aims: In this study, the authors aimed to analyse the quality of consumer-facing information about the Australian MyHR available on the MyHR website and other websites in Australia. Quality was examined in terms of readability, currency, information source, target audience, themes, presentation style and links between resources.

Results: Two searches were conducted to identify online information about MyHR and other Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records. 99 resources were identified in January 2016, and 80 in March 2016. Most resources from both searches required a high level of literacy to understand. Only 11 resources were written in “plain English”. One resource not linked to the MyHR website was at a “low literacy” level. The level of readable information available online about MyHR did not change from January to March, despite major changes to the MyHR website. Information resources were targeted at a range of healthcare consumers, including the general Australian public (65 resources), health providers (18 resources), and parents of infants and toddlers (15 resources). Most of these resources were created and published by Australian Government agencies (68 of 80 resources). However, the information provided was inconsistent across sources.

Implications: Consumer-facing information needs to be improved so that priority groups such as people with disability can access MyHR. The authors identified specific improvements needed to improve accessibility and use of MyHR:

• Information in more languages
• Targeted resources for priority groups
• A greater number of links between resources, and
• Specific information on the strategic use of the MyHR for a range of purposes.

Our onward queries: Will any improvements to the readability and consistency of MyHR consumer-facing information available on Australian websites impact on use of MyHR when it moves to an opt-out system of registration in 2018?

Full reference of article:
Walsh, L., Hill, S., Allan, M., Balandin, S., Georgiou, A., Higgins, I., Kraal, B., McCarthy, S., & Hemsley, B. (2017). A content analysis of the consumer-facing online information about My Health Record: Implications for increasing knowledge and awareness to facilitate uptake and use. Health Information Management Journal, (Early Online). doi:10.1177/1833358317712200

Link to article on publisher page: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1833358317712200