News Feature | October 29, 2015

Online Access To Health Records Rising

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

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According to an ONC data brief, access to online health records is on the rise.

Consumers are accessing their health records online more than ever, according to the ONC. Two briefs from the agency explain this, in part citing patients reporting being offered access to their online medical record by a provider or insurers jumping to 38 percent last year, up from 28 percent in 2013.

“The ability of individuals to easily and securely access and use their health information electronically serves as one of the cornerstones of nationwide efforts to increase patient and family engagement, and advance person-centered health,” explains the ONC. “With access to their electronic health information, individuals can serve as intermediaries of information exchange among providers and use innovative applications to better manage their health.”

Fierce EMR reports one brief, outlining the electronic capabilities of hospitals, claims 64 percent of hospitals provided their patients with the opportunity to view, download, and/or transmit their electronic information in 2014 — in 2013 only 10 percent had the capability. Additionally, most hospitals allowed patients to transmit (66 percent) and download (82 percent) health information, and nearly all hospitals (91 percent) allowed patients to view their health information electronically.

The second brief explains consumer access and use of EHRs has also seen a spike. In 2014, nearly four of 10 Americans were offered electronic access to their medical record, meaning the proportion of Americans offered online access to their medical records rose by more than a third compared to the previous year.

The brief further notes about one-third of individuals accessed their medical record one to two times in 2014 but only about one-fifth of individuals accessed their online record once or twice in 2013. “The key to engaging patients in their healthcare is providing them with the electronic capability to access, modify, and request their own health information,” summarized the ONC.