When diagnosed with cancer, not only is a patient’s life changed, but there is also much to learn when making care decisions.
“For cancer survivors and those following a recent diagnosis, access to online health records through a patient portal or smartphone health app 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 MATTERS
Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s nationally representative Health Information Trends Survey (HINTS), researchers from the HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT analyzed health information access and use by people with cancer, survivors, and others from 2020-2022.
In a new data summary, ASTP/ONC officials said 80% of people newly diagnosed with cancer were given access to their online medical records between 2020 and 2022, up from 38% of people newly diagnosed with the disease who were given access to their electronic health records (EHRs) between 2017 and 2018.
Researchers reviewed nearly 10,000 survey responses from HINTS 5 Cycle 4 (2020) and HINTS 6 (2022) in an effort to assess the impact of health communication and found that EHR access rates were higher among individuals newly diagnosed with cancer (82%) compared to cancer survivors (71%) and those who had never had cancer (72%).
Among newly diagnosed people in the study, 40% accessed their online medical records or patient portal six or more times in a year, compared with about a quarter of cancer survivors (26%) and people who had never had cancer (23%).
Viewing test results and clinical notes online, messaging providers 24/7, and downloading or sharing information with their ever-expanding care team can help patients take a more proactive role in their treatment and recovery.
“The frequent use among newly diagnosed individuals may be due to their more frequent visits to their health care providers after diagnosis,” the researchers said. They also noted that studies have shown that patient portal use is associated with more patient-centered communication among cancer patients.
New cancer patients in the study were more likely to use multiple electronic methods to access their online medical records. Almost all viewed test results, and more than half said they had multiple patient portals – 59% said they had an average of 2.2 portals.
However, as cancer patients gradually recover, the use of EHR becomes less and less.
Compared with those newly diagnosed with cancer, cancer survivors (52%) and HINTS survey participants who had never had cancer (47%) accessed their online medical records once a year.
Interestingly, survivors reported having fewer patient portals – 48% said they had an average of 1.2 portals, compared with an average of 1.7 portals in those who had never had cancer (43%).
THE BIGGER TREND
Many providers have focused on providing cancer patients with important data to help them understand their specific condition and engage them in shared decision-making.
As a pioneer in providing online health care, Cleveland Clinic also aims to help cancer patients face their diagnosis and make decisions through online telehealth services, said Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic at Cleveland Clinic.
McGillin says telehealth only improves the care experience for cancer patients Health CareITNews last year
“People are confused,” he explains. When faced with multiple treatment options, they want to know what’s best for them and seek a second opinion from a provider’s experts.
ON THE RECORD
“Patient portals and smartphone health apps that help people manage information from multiple online health records or patient portals can help bridge gaps in cancer care by providing an electronic means to navigate care and facilitate communication between patients and providers,” HHS researchers said.
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
