Kathy Jonhson

My area of research is personal narrative within a PHR. As personal health records (PHRs) continue to evolve as a system or network with multiple sources, one input that has yet to be captured is the patient (consumer) voice. The patient perspective has been documented through the eyes of a clinician, or has been distilled to available words from a dropdown menu. Contextual and conceptual information gleaned from personal narrative would allow the patient to record, view, and learn from personal observations—valuable information in shaping personal health behaviors. Shared access of this narrative within a PHR may foster a richer dialogue between patient and provider, creating the opportunity for more thoughtful and congruent treatment approaches. Effective use of this perspective will require the creation of tools that easily capture and represent patient-entered data. Besides benefit to the patient individually, knowledge could be mined for relevance and patterns for surveillance, prediction and the shaping of public health interventions.

I completed my BS Nursing here at UW Madison and a MS Nursing from Marquette University. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, and reading.