Patients concerned over ability to access own medical records

American patients are worried about not being able to access their own medical records when needed, according to a survey conducted by GfK Roper for Practice Fusion, the free, web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) company.  Concern about access outweighed worries about inaccuracy, theft, accidental destruction, ER availability or referral of personal medical records.

"The message is clear: patients want access to their medical records, and they want it now," said Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion. "Practice Fusion is an early leader in giving doctors and medical practices a simple, free way to share health records with patients in real time. Our innovation gives patients the power to manage their own health."

Other survey findings:

• Men were more concerned about inaccurate or outdated records than women (22 percent vs. 16 percent).
• Concern about record availability in an emergency room increases significantly with age (3 percent for patients aged 18-24 vs. 21 percent for patients aged 65+).
• Inability to access medical records remained consistent as the top concern across all patient income levels, genders and regions.

Currently, HIPAA regulation mandates healthcare providers respond to patient requests for protected health information that is maintained or accessible on-site within 30 days. This request can take up to 60 days if such health information is not maintained or accessible on-site and even longer under other circumstances. Patients do not necessarily receive all their records (sometimes it is just a summary) and various state laws restrict what information can be shared.  Patients are often charged per-page or per-request fees for access to their records. Physicians who use Practice Fusion's free, web-based EHR system can grant patients real-time online access to their medical records.

Raw results from the patient survey are available upon request. Practice Fusion can also offer physician sources who electronically share records with their patients and health IT experts to discuss the risks and benefits of patient access to their medical data.