Once a cancer diagnosis is confirmed, not only does a patient’s life change, but they can also learn a lot when making decisions about their care.
“For cancer patients and those recently diagnosed, access to online medical records through patient portals or health apps on smartphones is critical,” researchers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a new report examining the use of electronic health information.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s nationally representative Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), researchers from the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS analyzed access to and use of health information by individuals with cancer, survivors, and others during 2020-2022.
In the new data overviewAccording to ASTP/ONC officials, 80% of people with a recent cancer diagnosis gained access to their online medical records between 2020 and 2022. That’s a 38% increase from people with a newly diagnosed cancer who gained access to an electronic health record (EHR) between 2017 and 2018.
The researchers looked at nearly 10,000 survey responses from HINTS 5 Cycle 4 (2020) and HINTS 6 (2022) in their search for the impact of health communication. They found that EHR access was higher among individuals with a recent cancer diagnosis (82%) compared to cancer patients (71%) and those who have never had cancer (72%).
Of the people in the study who were recently diagnosed with cancer, 40% consulted their online medical records or patient portal six or more times a year. For cancer survivors, that percentage was about a quarter (26%) and for those who had never had cancer (23%).
By viewing their test results and clinical notes online, messaging healthcare providers 24/7, and downloading or sharing information with their growing care teams, patients can play an active role in their treatment and survivorship journey.
“Frequent access among those with a recent diagnosis may be attributed to more frequent health care visits after diagnosis,” the researchers said. They also noted that studies have shown that use of patient portals is associated with greater perceived patient-centered communication among cancer patients.
The patients who were new to cancer management in the study had higher rates of using multiple electronic methods to access their online medical records. Nearly all were looking at test results, and more than half said they had multiple patient portals—59% said they had an average of 2.2 portals.
As cancer patient survival rates increase, the use of electronic health records is declining.
Compared with people with a recent cancer diagnosis, cancer patients (52%) and HINTS survey respondents who never had cancer (47%) consulted their online medical records once per year.
Interestingly, survivors reported having fewer patient portals – 48% said they had an average of 1.2, compared to an average of 1.7 portals for those who never had cancer (43%).
THE BIGGER TREND
Many healthcare providers are focused on providing cancer patients with critical data to help them better understand their specific condition and engage in shared decision-making.
As a pioneer in virtual care delivery, The Cleveland Clinic has also sought to help oncology patients confront their diagnoses and make decisions with online access to specialists via telehealth, said Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic.
Telehealth has only improved the care experience for cancer patients, McGillin said HealthcareITNews last year.
“People are confused,” he explained. When faced with multiple treatment options, they want to know what is best for them and seek second opinions from the provider’s specialists.
ON THE RECORD
“Patient portals and health apps on smartphones that allow people to manage information from multiple online medical records or patient portals could bridge the gap in cancer care by providing an electronic means to navigate care and facilitate patient-provider communication,” the HHS researchers said.
Andrea Fox is Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare IT News.
Email address: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.