Patients can access their own health records — including test results — as soon as they’re available. While it might sound beneficial, in some cases, people are receiving life-changing diagnoses before their doctors have a chance to speak with them.
The accessibility is due to legislation that went into effect in 2021 called the 21st Century Cures Act.
It is designed to give patients easier access to electronic health records and quicker access to medical innovations, but experts say it comes with an unintended side effect.
“It is a great idea, but it comes with some wrinkles,” said medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.
For example, patients can see information like cancer screening results on their own before a doctor delivers the news. While it’s best to discuss the results with your doctor, some believe the ability to access the information can be beneficial.
He explained a doctor can ensure the results are not immediately released, but to do that it would have to follow certain criteria.
“It has to be because they think the results will cause the patient to have physical harm to themselves or to somebody else, not emotional,” LaPook said. “The patient, depending on the app that they’re in, can also say, ‘I don’t want to see the results.'”
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