Patient Access to Medical Information: A Multi-Perspecitive Study

Recent U.S health care policy emphasizes increased patient access to medical information to empower patients and improve quality of care. However, little is known about what access should consist of, how these systems will impact patients and physicians, and whether their use leads to better outcomes. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the 85 percent of Americans who use the internet and the 10 percent who access a patient portal is striking, suggesting a need to better understand barriers and facilitators concerning the use of patient portals. This three article dissertation builds upon existing research by: 1) providing a systematic review of the literature to determine the impact of patient-accessible records on quality of care; 2) identifying physician perceptions of patients’ access to test results; and 3) exploring patients’ experiences using portal-based test result notification. Despite a lack of evidence in the literature, psychological harm to patients is a major concern for both physicians and patients, especially as it relates to the release of sensitive test results. As portals continue to evolve, it is important to address both patient and physician concerns to facilitate acceptance and use, and to ensure that patients understand the medical information they are accessing. These findings suggest important considerations for health professionals, including medical social workers, who may be able to leverage this technology to engage patients in their care.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Social Work

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Giardina, Traber Davis

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Parrish, Danielle E.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Achenbaum, W. Andrew
• Sittig, Dean F.

• Patient access
• Records
• Patient portal
• Personal health record
• Test result notification

Statement dc:rights

• The author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. UH Libraries has secured permission to reproduce any and all previously published materials contained in the work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10657/3648

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/3648