# Electronic Personal Health Record Systems: A Review of Architectural, Privacy, and Security Issues

> MeRC Working Paper #27 by Daglish and Archer, January 2009: architecture, privacy and security issues of electronic personal health record (PHR) systems.

Page URL: https://merc-mcmaster.ca/working-papers/electronic-personal-health-record-systems-a-review-of-architectural-privacy-and-security-issues/

Working Paper #27 by Daglish and Archer, January 2009.

- Personal health records drew widespread attention as a consumer tool.
- Individuals enter their own data and access information from many sources.
- The patient's physician is normally the main information source.
- Patient input, prescriptions and lab results supplement it.
- Hospitals and other facilities add institutional inputs.
- Architecture must allow understandable access while blocking unauthorized access.
- The paper covered design and architecture, focusing on privacy and security.
- Careful privacy and security design determines consumer acceptance.

Keywords: personal health records, architecture, privacy, security.