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The Patient Portal—Help or Hindrance?
We’ve always talked about quick access to all the information we want, when we want it. Gone are the days of ‘snail’ mail and encyclopedias. Now we have Patient Portals! And they are here to stay!
In 2016 the Cures Act went into effect, but the part that pertained to access to patient records wasn’t effective until April 2021. The Dept of Health and Human Services began enforcing the rule which declared that a hospital or doctor must allow access to a person’s health information. Failure to do so could result in fines for the doctor and hospital. Thus, the Patient Portal.
The result is that as soon as you have lab work, x-rays, CT scans, or a diagnostic test, YOU will receive the information (often before the doctor does.). This has led to much confusion and fright for many patients. A test result, read by a patient, out of context, or without a doctor’s explanation, can lead to confusion and anxiety and un-necessary emotional harm. I know this personally, when I received the results of my MRI well before my doctor. Seeing a report that stated “new lesions in areas of the brain,” really freaked me out!
In today’s world of instant gratification with computers, the emotional cost of instant access can be high.
- How have you been able to handle reports on the Patient Portal? What suggestions do you have for other members?
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@ shaneilya, that sounds more like Dr or medical staff error. Some Drs just do not listen carefully or take notes. The person taking height/weight would have likely been other med staff, and frankly it sounds like someone documented someone else’s info to your file. I have found errors, too, and they can be very difficult to correct! All it takes is one provider to put that in, and then others afterwards will pull that info forward to add to their notes. The portal is an excellent way to check reports and results. Without MyChart or the portal those errors would still be there, but we just wouldn’t know about them.
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5 ReactionsI found a way to avoid crowds at Urgent Care/Emergency Room - I do not know if it will work for you. Mine is combined and 24-hour service.
If it is not an absolute emergency and can wait a few hours, I go between 3am and 6am. I get right in!
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5 ReactionsLOVE your idea!!! My first visit to a primary care doctor listed a boiler plate visit of things that did not happen. I am taking in the report next time I see him
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2 ReactionsHow about this: due to an as-yet undiagnosed probable heart issue, I have visited my local emergency department a couple of times. They are overwhelmed with people coming in, the staff is overworked and excellent.
I have used my smartphone to access MyChart to find my blood results before the workers can come and tell me what's going on. Last time I had to use it to register myself because no hospital worker could come to sign me in. Internet service wasn't great so it took a long time, but I was waiting a long time anyway with nothing to do so the challenge occupied my mind.
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4 ReactionsNow you have an opportunity to throw up the red flag and have them correct any records that might be vital to your healthcare. Other medical providers are reading and relying on these reports; if the reports aren’t corrected, they may make medical care decisions based on them. I’m not talking about nitpicking on typos, but if it’s important, it might help your care teams (and you) to know of errors and get them corrected. I think some systems or offices have a “checklist” of items they’re to report on each visit. If they’ve checked or commented on something non-urgent you don’t believe they examined (like your cognitive, pupils & eyes, lungs & breathing, heart, , edema, lymph nodes, reflexes etc), I’d take the report to your next routine visit and nicely ask how they go about checking them.
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8 ReactionsBut good that it allows you to see "Doctor" errors and address them. Least they go uncorrected and read by another doctor as fact.
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5 ReactionsYou have illustrated the value of MyChart! If you did not have the ability now to see those inaccuracies and ask for corrections, then those inaccuracies WOULD NEVER BE CORRECTED IN YOUR MEDICAL RECORD.
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7 ReactionsI have found My Chart summaries are often inaccurate. The last surgical summary said I was 172 pounds male (I weight 115) and 6.1 feet tall (I am 5.7). Another surgeon said I had no rash, walked well, straight leg test, vital signs good and went to describe the physical which I did not have. The doctor never saw me walk and never touched by body remaining on the computer across the large room. A neurologist summary said I had a cognitive dysfunction. When the doctor called to explain test results she never mentioned the cognitive problem. When asked she admitted it was an error due to voicing the summary.
So My Chart can helpful it also can be unreliable.
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6 ReactionsI LOVE IT!!!!!!! I have instant access to my medical appointments, tests, lab results, AND I can communicate with my Doctor's via message. As a patient that works full-time nights (6pm-6a) at my job, it's so convenient to drop a note to my doctor when I am awake and can think clearly. I have been using patient portal for the past 5 years or longer and think it is wonderful!
Special Blessings,
Sherry
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4 ReactionsI understand your position very well. I also think that for those of us who choose to read the reports (and Google like crazy to try to understand the hard stuff) that it is IMPERATIVE to honor the doctors' schedule he gives us for reviewing results with us. They have many patients and reports to review, and in some cases get second opinions or next steps lined up if necessary. In fact, I think it's rude to contact them before the deadline they have given. That has to fit into the equation in one's decision to read reports in advance, or just wait until the doctor is ready. (I would still read the report with them though, to make sure they don't skim over anything you may want to question)
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