Patient perceptions and interactions with their web portal-based laboratory results

Abstract

BackgroundThe movement to improve patient-centred care, combined with the development of user-friendly technology has led to the spread of electronic patient portals (EPP). Little research has examined the effects of providing patients with access to their laboratory results on their healthcare and health behaviours.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to gain insight into the use of EPPs, understand why patients use EPPs to access their laboratory results and explore its impact on their health.MethodSemistructured interviews were conducted with 21 patients who used the laboratory results section of an EPP. Interviews were analysed using a grounded theory approach.ResultsParticipant interactions with their laboratory results varied based on their level of understanding of their results. Benefits of EPP-based access to test results included convenience, fewer appointments and decreased anxiety. Some participants described increased engagement in their healthcare and positive health changes. However, some were concerned about receiving alarming test results.ConclusionHealthcare providers using EPPs to provide patients with their test results should try to ensure their patients understand their test results. Patient comprehension of test results may be improved by having providers comment on the meaning of test results and by encouraging patients to use specific websites and search options within EPPs.

Effects of Electronic Health Record Implementation and Barriers to Adoption and Use: A Scoping Review and Qualitative Analysis of the Content

“…Improved access to patient information and records was reported as a benefit following EHR/PHR implementation [17,34,37,45,48,56,65,69,75,90,91,99,101,128,147,150,153]. Nurses perceived that increased accessibility enhanced their job performance [20,28].…”

“…Better communication between patients and providers was reported as a benefit following the implementation of EHRs/PHRs [32,34,38,42,44,69,86,87,102,134,146,147,153]. Physicians recognized the value of being able to share patient-centered information with patients using EHRs [34,143], while clinicians perceived that new communication channels such as messaging through EHRs should improve communication between patients and providers [45].…”

Capturing the Impact of Patient Portals Based on the Quadruple Aim and Benefits Evaluation Frameworks: Scoping Review

“…Many of the studies [ 47 , 68 , 77 , 80 , 82 , 100 , 101 , 109 - 112 , 114 ] have explored patient experiences with access to patient portals and subsequently access to their own medical information. All of the studies reported that users were highly satisfied with the access, and in one study, 97% of survey respondents stated that they would definitely or probably recommend the portal to other clients and families [ 110 ].…”

Error detection via patient engagement: Wrong‐side designation in cytology reports of a computed tomography–guided lung biopsy with rapid on‐site evaluation

“…EPPs are websites that allow patients to view laboratory results, refill prescriptions, manage appointments, and communicate with their providers 3 . Posited benefits of EPPs include work efficiency gains for providers and enhanced engagement with health matters, including self‐care, for patients 3‐5 . However, accessing abnormal or ambiguous test results via an EPP can cause anxiety for patients and lead to an increased number of clinical follow‐up visits 3‐5 .…”

“…EPPs are websites that allow patients to view laboratory results, refill prescriptions, manage appointments, and communicate with their providers 3 . Posited benefits of EPPs include work efficiency gains for providers and enhanced engagement with health matters, including self‐care, for patients 3‐5 .…”