Explorations

Overview

Below are suggestions for initial explorations for researching and integrating the Personal Preferences Approach into healthcare platforms. They are intended to seed ideas, not define a scope of initial integration.

UI Options Integration

UI Options provides an interface for setting and applying user preference in a web application. An initial exploration would be to integrate a healthcare platform/exemplar with UI Options and storing the saved preferences in the default browser cookie, existing user account system or Preferences Server. The Setting up User Interface Options tutorial walks through the initial install of UIO. The UIO+ Chrome extension can be used as a quick way to see how preference changes may affect the site.

Connect Multiple Applications/Platforms to a Shared Preferences Server

To explore and demonstrate the use of a centralized Personal Data Server, multiple systems can be integrated to access the shared preferences. For example preferences are set in a healthcare platform and applied to a journalling tool, or a completely separate application. Applying preferences across platforms (e.g. web, mobile, desktop, etc.) should also be explored. This will help examine how different applications and platforms use and represent preferences, as well as how the various contexts may affect which preferences the user wishes to apply.

SMART API App for Preference Setting in Health Record

SMART provides an API for working with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) compliant medical records. Using this technology, an application (web, mobile, and/or desktop) can be developed to integrate with a healthcare platform(s) supplying preference settings via the extensibility features of FHIR records. 

An initial implementation could be focused on preference settings. The app itself would have a simplified interface geared towards preferences and connecting to the healthcare platforms. In addition to interacting with the preference settings in the medical record, the application could also export the preferences as data (e.g. JSON), print out, QR code, and etc. In this way it could explore other interoperability options including systems that don't support SMART or FHIR, in person experiences, and etc. As preferences and interoperability are further explored, it could facilitate requirements gathering and standards definitions as needed.

Journalling/Contextualizing Data

Journalling can provide a means of self-reflecting, self-analyzing, and contextualizing the data collected. A digital journalling tool could connect to a variety of data inputs including wearables, devices, services, free form writing, and etc. By providing tools for aggregating, organizing, visualizing, and interpreting/analyzing the data, an individual can be empowered to better understand the relationships between the various aspects of their life. Methods for sharing, exporting, and synthesizing into preferences should also be explored; while keeping in mind privacy and security requirements. This may draw upon work from MyL3 for continuation or inspiration.

In addition to a purely digital solution, an analog solution can be investigated. This may provide additional modalities for someone to interact with, for example if they don't have the means to access the required hardware/software. Additionally it may inform processes for interaction that may benefit a digital solution.