Electronic Personal Health Records for Mobile Populations: A Rapid Systematic Literature Review

TL;DR

This paper reviews electronic health records for mobile populations like refugees and migrants to understand their use and effectiveness.

Contribution

A systematic review of EPHRs for mobile populations, identifying key systems and implementation challenges.

Findings

Six distinct EPHRs were identified with varying features and levels of patient autonomy.

User adoption and data security are critical challenges for EPHR implementation.

Limited evidence exists on EPHRs' impact on health outcomes for mobile populations.

Abstract

Background: Mobile populations, including refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants, face challenges related to access, continuity, and quality of healthcare, among others, due to the lack of available health records. This study aimed to examine the current landscape of Electronic Personal Health Records (EPHRs) developed for and used by mobile populations. Methods: A rapid systematic review was conducted between September 2024 and January 2025, identifying relevant publications through searches in Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and grey literature. Results: The literature search yielded 2303 articles, with 74 remaining after title and abstract screening. After full-text screening, 10 scientific articles and 9 grey literature records were included in a qualitative data synthesis. Six distinct EPHRs were identified, differing in how they centralize health records, in additional functionalities, and the level of patient autonomy granted. Discussion and Conclusions: Limited evidence exists on EPHRs impact on health outcomes or continuity of care, and user adoption remains a critical challenge. Key elements in the development and implementation of EPHRs include ensuring a high level of data security and co-designing easy-to-use EPHRs. The review indicates a need for future research on user experiences of EPHRs and their impact on the health outcomes of mobile populations.

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