Mapping Greener HealthcareMapping Greener Healthcare

Project Description

Background: Patient held records (or personal health records) are way for patients (and/or carers) to maintain information about the patients’ health and wellness. They are becoming more commonly used in healthcare, particularly for management of chronic diseases like glaucoma. However, the evidence to support their use is unclear.

Approach: The team recruited 56 patients and administered questionnaires about glaucoma knowledge before and after a glaucoma logbook (i.e. patient held records) was integrated into care. The data was analysed to assess knowledge about glaucoma.

Intended Benefits

Patient outcomes: Benefits to patient outcomes are undetermined at the moment, but should be monitored to determine effect of logbook adoption.

Environmental, Financial, Social: The glaucoma logbook had a positive impact on patient knowledge, showing a significant increase in the knowledge score (Z = -4.176, p < 0.001). This could improve patient satisfaction through empowering patients to engage in self-care and management of their health and well-being. The environmental and financial impacts of using a glaucoma logbook are largely unknown, but possibilities include reducing printing out records and streamlining care with an integrated logbook.

Potential Barriers

Challenges to implementing this system:

• Initial adjustment and integration of logbook usage
• Cultural and societal barriers to adoption of logbook across all demographics

Key Aspects of the Project

The team suggested that further research should be done on a larger sample size to see if the effects are consistent. Also, investigation into effects on long-term structural and functional outcomes should be done. This project focuses on the patient experience by improving patient knowledge through use of a glaucoma logbook.