Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

eHealth platforms as user–data communication: Examining patients’ struggles with digital health data

eHealth platforms as user–data communication: Examining patients’ struggles with digital health data AbstractSundhed.dk is Denmark's national eHealth platform allowing citizens to access their personal health data. Based on 16 qualitative interviews with patients, our aim in this article is to examine how patients engage with their health data. First, we illustrate how patients struggle in different ways to make sense of numerical measurements and written notes. Second, we examine the platform as a communicative space and suggest that a new “medical-domestic” space arises in which medical data is interpreted and negotiated at home. Third, we investigate how health data affects patients’ experiences of being involved as equal partners and how access to data potentially enhances patient empowerment, but also how expectations are sometimes unfulfilled. In conclusion, we argue for a broader public dialogue in order to make sure that the data provided actually creates an optimal starting point and does not foster insecurity or self-doubt on the patient's side. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nordicom Review de Gruyter

eHealth platforms as user–data communication: Examining patients’ struggles with digital health data

Mahnke, Martina Skrubbeltrang; Nielsen, Mikka
Nordicom Review , Volume 42 (s4): 14 – Sep 1, 2021
Download PDF
14 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/de-gruyter/ehealth-platforms-as-user-data-communication-examining-patients-vv3zN2aLzh
Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
© 2021 Martina Skrubbeltrang Mahnke et al., published by Sciendo
ISSN
2001-5119
eISSN
2001-5119
DOI
10.2478/nor-2021-0040
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractSundhed.dk is Denmark's national eHealth platform allowing citizens to access their personal health data. Based on 16 qualitative interviews with patients, our aim in this article is to examine how patients engage with their health data. First, we illustrate how patients struggle in different ways to make sense of numerical measurements and written notes. Second, we examine the platform as a communicative space and suggest that a new “medical-domestic” space arises in which medical data is interpreted and negotiated at home. Third, we investigate how health data affects patients’ experiences of being involved as equal partners and how access to data potentially enhances patient empowerment, but also how expectations are sometimes unfulfilled. In conclusion, we argue for a broader public dialogue in order to make sure that the data provided actually creates an optimal starting point and does not foster insecurity or self-doubt on the patient's side.

Journal

Nordicom Review – de Gruyter

Published: Sep 1, 2021

Keywords: eHealth; health data; sense-making; communication; struggles

There are no references for this article.