How to scan patient access allowed patients

In 2024, more patients than ever accessible to their online medical records via browsers and applications to manage their health – this is why this counts.

Last year, we published a series of blog articles with measures and measures that we followed for ten years or more to assess progress on important ASTP / ONC mission activities. This year, we are launching a new series of blogs entitled “Digital dividends” which will discuss important innovations and opportunities in the provision of health care, services and research made possible by these digitization efforts led by HHS and ASTP / ONC.

We start with an overview of the growth of patient access to their electronic health information and how this allows patients to make informed decisions on their health and care.

After a period of rapid growth in access to patients, a recent ASTP / ONC data file reveals online access to medical records, generally via online applications or portals, continue to increase. Using the latest data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (Tips 7), we found that more than three -quarters of individuals nationwide (77%) had online access to their health information in 2024, compared to 73% in 2022 – and almost two thirds (65%) reached their online information at least once last year, more than 57% in 2022. 51% in 2024.

Access rates were even higher in people managing chronic disease or recent cancer diagnosis. In 2024, 69% of people with chronic disease and 76% of people with a recent cancer diagnosis have reached their online health information in the past year. These people may have regular interactions with the health care system and use patient portals to display test results and clinical notes, a message with suppliers or share information with caregivers or members of their care team.

Our results also show that individuals access their online files more frequently. In 2024, around a third of individuals (34%) were frequent users (consulted 6 times or more in the past year) – more than double the pre -countryic rate in 2019 (15%). In addition, people with a chronic condition (38%) and those with a recent cancer diagnosis (54%) were frequent users (Figure 1). These results suggest that some people may need to access their files more frequently and continue to improve this access benefits their management of personal care.

Figure 1. Frequency of individuals who have access their online files in the past year, overall and among those who manage a chronic disease or a recent cancer diagnosis, 2024.

Source: Indices 7 (2024).

More important access and use can be due in part to the implementation of the final requirements of the final rule of the ASTP / ONC. The rule improves patient access from the point of view of the policy thanks to the regulation of information blocking of information and technically by requiring that certified health developers be, if necessary, to implement secure application programming (API) interfaces based on standards that allow patients to access and more easily manage their health information using an application (application) of their choice. This may also have led to increased availability of the features available in portals so that patients can access and share information that can be used to make informed decisions on their health and care. Taking more than a decade of data on the use of patient portals by individuals, our last rapid statistics shows an increase in the use of different portal features by users over time. In 2024, the most common uses were to view the results of laboratory tests and clinical notes, representing 90% and 80% of the use of the portal, respectively. In addition, more than three-quarters of individuals used their portal to send a message to their providers (79%) or to plan meetings (77%).

Less commonly used features included using the portal to download (32%) or transmit information (21%) to a third party, add information (25%) or correct errors (10%). However, it is not clear if individuals did not use these features because they did not need them, or because they were not available in the portal. The results of a national hospital survey show that download and transmission capacities are largely adopted by hospitals and, therefore, low use by individuals can reflect low demand. The functionality to add information to the portal is less commonly available and probably contributes to lower use of these features. As online access to medical records becomes generalized, it will be important to increase the availability of functionalities appreciated by individuals and improve awareness of emerging functionalities that can improve patient care.

Beyond the use of online access to medical records for the management of chronic conditions care, individuals can use tools available to them in patient portals or smartphones health applications for preventive care, such as staying up to date with annual meetings and recommended screening. A recent EPIC study has shown that portal patient users are more likely to be up to date with breast cancer screening, which testifies to the importance of continuing to offer patient portals and encourage their use. Overcoming the obstacles to access is necessary to treat persistent differences in portal activation rates, which can reflect a wider digital fracture in patient access to their electronic health information. Collectively, these results indicate patient portals and smartphones health applications that allow patients to manage their electronic health information can be powerful tools for the prevention and management of care. Continuous efforts to increase and improve access to all people are essential to ensure that they and their caregivers have the information they need to manage their health and care.

Figure 2. Rapid statistics # 69: Trends in the use of individuals in terms of health: 2012-2024

Source: Consumer Survey on attitudes towards the aspects of confidentiality and security of electronic health files and the exchange of information on health (2012-2014), Health Information Trends Survey (INSINTS) (2017-2020, 2022, 2024).