Personal Health Record interfaces: A hermeneutic analysis

Authors

  • Gary Burnett Florida State University
  • Melinda Whetstone Florida State University
  • Paul T. Jaeger University of Maryland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i8.4748

Keywords:

Personal Health Records, Interface Design, Cultural Hermeneutics

Abstract

This study draws upon cultural hermeneutics to provide insight into the ways Personal Health Records (PHRs) project an information world related to health. Differences in PHRs can range from key variations in functionality to differences in how they make the experiences of users more akin to personal interactions than to clinical visits or impersonal e-commerce transactions. This study provides analyses of design and communication issues in three PHR Web sites, offering preliminary conclusions about the potential impact of differences in design and functionality, as well as the inclusiveness of these interfaces for populations traditionally underserved by technology design. Additionally, it undergirds its analyses with a theoretical approach rooted in the theory of Information Worlds, which suggests that each PHR interface projects a specific “information world” that both enables and constrains not only user options and activities, but also how users are able to understand the parameters of “health” itself. 

Author Biographies

Gary Burnett, Florida State University

Professor, School of Library and Information Studies

Melinda Whetstone, Florida State University

Ph.D. candidate, School of Library and Information Studies

Paul T. Jaeger, University of Maryland

Associate Professor, College of Information Studies

Downloads

Published

2013-07-23

How to Cite

Burnett, G., Whetstone, M., & Jaeger, P. T. (2013). Personal Health Record interfaces: A hermeneutic analysis. First Monday, 18(8). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i8.4748