Physicians And Patients At Odds Over Patient Access To EHRs

By John Oncea, Editor

By John Oncea, editor, Healthcare Technology Online

Two-thirds of doctors want limited patient access; 4% want no patient access at all

Practice Fusion announced Monday the launch of Patient Fusion, a service which allows visitors to find a verified doctor based on specialty and location, read reviews from actual patient visits, and instantly request appointments. Users of Practice Fusion's free electronic health record (EHR) system also have instant access to their personal health records online.

Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion, said users of Patient Fusion will have “the power to access and control” their own health records. More than 27,000 doctors in the United States are using Practice Fusion's EHR and the company says that “By granting patients access to their records, practices can make it easier for patients to keep an eye on key data such as immunizations and allergies and to follow post-visit instructions.”

But, despite the offerings of Practice Fusion and other companies like them, not all doctors are ready to share their electronic records.