Incorporating Health Preferences of Older Adults into the Electronic Medical Record
Researchers
The development and evaluation of new software called e-Preference has been designed to integrate health decision aids for older adults into electronic medical records when faced with complex healthcare decisions. In this study, participants were given a hypothetical scenario that they had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. They were then asked to access their personal health information through the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) online with a link to information on atrial fibrillation and a treatment using warfarin with an option to activate the e-Preference health decision aid. In the first year of the project, investigators completed development of the software. In the second year of the project, investigators implemented and tested the e-Preference system at PAMF, evaluating usability of the system, and performed system modifications based on patient/physician feedback in the final phase. As a result, investigators have determined a feasible approach to deliver this technology through an existing electronic health records system and its Web portal.
This study is a seed project for the Center on Advancing Decision Making for Aging.