Development of a Personal Health Record System Based on USB Flash Drive and Web Service

Objective: The development of information communication technology (ICT) and the demand for managing the healthy lives of individuals are accelerating the informatization of the health and medical field. Considering this environment and the needs of the individual, this paper has designed and developed a web and mobile storage device-based personal health record (PHR) system that individuals can manage by themselves anywhere, anytime, whether on-line or off-line. Based on the experience of implementing the system, its development method, results, and relevant technical issues are described. System Design and Description: This system is implemented to manage PHR, including vital signs and ingested/consumed calories for a lifetime by connecting a PHR-integrated web server to each hospital's information system, and the PHR programs installed in the individual's PC or USB flash memory drive. To achieve this, an interface module, web server system, and PHR viewer program for individuals are developed. Results: When it is off-line, the PHR program is operated to inquire the data saved in the DB, and the self-measured information can be inputted. When it is on-line, it calls the web service function to inquire the medical information, including hospital visit history, prescription history, diagnosis result, image inspection result and medical treatment result. Conclusion: This system connects home and mobile healthcare to hospitals but minimizes information leakage because the data is not accumulated. By loading a plug & play, PHR viewer to an easy-to-carry mobile storage device, the systems supports a sustainable health management. (Journal of Korean Society of Medical Informatics 15-3, 341-350, 2009)