Veterans with online access to their health records report that they communicate better with their doctors resulting in higher levels of overall satisfaction with their care, according to a VA-sponsored study published in the “Journal of Medical Internet Research.”
Between 2000 and 2010, nine VA facilities in Oregon, Florida, New York, and Washington D.C recruited nearly 7,500 veterans to enroll in My HealtheVet when it was still a pilot program. Once enrolled patients could access clinical notes, problem lists, vital signs, medications, allergies, appointments, and laboratory results plus other personal medical data.
Dr. Susan Woods and her pilot team conducted the pilot study at the Portland Oregon VA Medical Center with 72 percent patient enrollment. The pilot’s goal was to determine how veterans would be impacted if they had access to their own health data.
Veterans in the study were separated into five focus groups based on how often they accessed their records. A total of 30 patients and six family members between ages 49 and 82 attended group sessions. At the session, the participants answered questions about their experiences with online medical records.
Participants cited improved understanding and greater insight into their care as a major benefit plus they were pleased that the program enabled them to share their records with non-VA providers. Patients were also able to exert more control over their care by researching options based on their doctor’s notes and felt they were able to ask educated questions when they went in for appointments.
A number of participants said that access to their records allowed them to receive better care as they could remind their caregivers of health matters that were discussed or identified at previous appointments.
While the responses were positive overall, some veterans reported difficulties in viewing their records since they lacked computer expertise. Others indicated that they were stressed by reading medical information they really didn’t fully understand and sometimes they were stressed or offended by their doctor’s comments in the record.
Because the study was limited only to veterans who regularly access their records, it may not be indicative of the current My HealtheVet program overall. Some patients reported technical problems with the site or they simply chose not to access their records.
While the level of patient interaction varied, it is apparent that the online health records, plus other trends are changing the way doctors communicate with their patients and this has resulted in partnerships that can now exist between the medical staff and their patients.