Access to Personal Health Information (PHI) has become a key component in the movement toward transparency in healthcare. It involves giving patients access to records such as medical history and laboratory test results.
A new Quest Diagnostics survey shows it’s a right patients want. The survey reported that 47% of respondents want online access to their health records.
However, the survey also found there is a troubling lack of knowledge among Americans regarding their own health information.
Why PHI Access Is Important
Almost half of those in the survey want online access to health information. Additional findings demonstrate a need to have that access by showing how little people know about their own health information.
Findings from the survey included the following.
- People are as likely to recall their childhood phone number (55%) as their blood type (57%)
- Only 38% know their cholesterol levels
- Only 33% know their blood sugar levels
- About 40% said they either don’t have access to test results, or were unaware if they did
- 87% said they saw good reasons to have access to health records online
The online survey involved a nationally representative sample of 1,004 people.
Those with chronic illnesses are especially interested in healthcare record access. In another survey by Accenture, a majority of patients with chronic illnesses said the benefit of online access to health information outweighed the potential privacy risks.
A Need for Education on Access to PHI
If 87% of the population sees the advantage of access to their own health records, then why don’t they already have it? The fact is, many of them do. But challenges remain in providing valuable information and convincing patients to use the tools to access it.
The roadblocks all spring from three main issues, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
Underutilization of Patient Portals– While more than half of patients have access to records, many don’t use them to better their health, according to ONC. Some fail to see the value. But the ONC reports that patients who access their records “can better coordinate their health care, prevent repeat or unnecessary tests and procedures, and have greater control over their health and well-being.”
Lack of Interoperability– Initiatives have been launched to overcome the challenge of sharing information from different healthcare systems, but much work remains. While patients may have access to records through a patient portal, they might not be able to see all their records from, for example, a specialist or lab that uses a different software system.
Not Knowing Their Rights– Many people simply do not know they have access their health records, which is why a guidebook on this issue has been created.
Patient Access to Health Records Is Increasing
More hospitals and healthcare providers now offer patients access to their records. The American Hospital Association reports that 93% of hospitals and healthcare systems provide patients access to digital health records. That’s up from 27% in 2012.
Patients also can interact with their records. For example, the AHA survey reported that 84% of hospitals and health systems allow patients to download records. And 84% allow patients the ability to designate someone to access records on their behalf.
Patients also want the ability to access records via mobile devices, according to a new survey from Metova, which specializes in “connected care” in the healthcare industry. The survey also found that a majority want access to their insurance benefits via mobile as well.
Why? About 80% of survey respondents said they would see a doctor more often if they knew their out-of-pocket cost ahead of time and about 75% also said they’d like to manage their insurance benefits via smartphone.
