Personal health records in the South African healthcare landscape: a socio-technical analysis

Abstract

Personal Health Records (PHRs) offer various advantages for individuals making use of these systems to document and maintain information related to their health. In addition, PHRs may play a positive role in preventative care and efforts to prevent and control non-communicable lifestyle diseases. Despite numerous benefits adoption rates are low, and little is known regarding the factors that affect adoption in the South African context. This exploratory paper highlights socio-technical factors that can affect the adoption of PHRs in the South African context. Socio-Technical Systems theory is applied as a theoretical lens to identify the social, technical, and environmental factors that can affect the adoption of PHRs. Factors that can positively contribute to, as well as negatively inhibit, the adoption of PHRs are identified.