Experiences of Patients With Mental Health Issues Having Web-Based Access to Their Records [Elektronisk resurs] National Patient Survey

• Background: Sharing mental health notes through patient accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) is controversial. Many psychiatric organizations and regions in Sweden have resisted the implementation, as clinicians worry about possible harms when patients are reading their notes. Despite the documented benefits of PAEHRs, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding whether patients with mental health issues could reap similar benefits of reading their notes as other patient groups. Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the use, attitudes, and experiences of patients with mental health issues by reading their notes in the PAEHR and, moreover, whether their experiences differ from other patient groups, and if so, how. Methods: A national patient survey was conducted with answers from 2587 patients from different patient groups. In total, 504 respondents (19.5%) indicated that they experienced a mental health disease. Answers from this patient group were compared to the answers from all other respondents. Survey questions related to attitudes, information usage, and effects on contacts with care were selected for analysis. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to detect groupwise differences. Results: Patients with mental health issues use PAEHRs for checking that they have received the right care (mean_mental health 2.83, SD_mental health 1.39; mean_others 2.62, SD_others 1.37; P=.002) or suspected inaccuracies (mean_mental health 2.55, SD_mental health 1.34; mean_others 2.31, SD_others 1.30; P=.001), blocking access for professionals in other specialties (mean_mental health 3.43, SD_mental health 1.46; mean_others 3.04, SD_others 1.42; P<.001), and checking which care professionals have accessed their record (mean_mental health 4.28, SD_mental health 1.14; mean_others 4.05, SD_others 1.25; P<.001) to a significantly higher degree than other patients. On the other hand, the results show that a significantly lower proportion of patients with mental health issues (mean_mental health 3.38, SD_mental health 1.21; mean_others 3.52, SD_others 1.18; P=.02) believe that PAEHRs help them in shared decision-making compared to other patient groups. Conclusions: Patients with mental health issues who took part in the survey, as a group, express some minor differences in both the use of the PAEHR and their experiences regarding its usefulness, as compared to other patients, as a group. This patient group shows a slightly higher interest in 2 types of use: checking for accuracy of care in the record and blocking access to mental health notes for professionals from other parts of the health care system. Compared to other patient groups, these patients are less likely to experience that the PAEHR is a support in shared decision-making. The study indicates that the benefits of PAEHR on a general level are the same for this patient group as for other patients. The study does not support clinicians’ worry about possible harm to this patient group. Further research is however needed. 

Ämnesord

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Health Sciences  (hsv)

Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Hälsovetenskaper  (hsv)

Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi  (hsv)

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Basic Medicine  (hsv)

Social and Clinical Pharmacy  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper  (hsv)

Samhällsfarmaci och klinisk farmaci  (hsv)

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Health Sciences  (hsv)

Medical Ethics  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Hälsovetenskaper  (hsv)

Medicinsk etik  (hsv)

Social Sciences  (hsv)

Media and Communications  (hsv)

Information Systems, Social aspects  (hsv)

Samhällsvetenskap  (hsv)

Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap  (hsv)

Systemvetenskap, informationssystem och informatik med samhällsvetenskaplig inriktning  (hsv)

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Computer and Information Sciences  (hsv)

Information Systems  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Data- och informationsvetenskap  (hsv)

Systemvetenskap, informationssystem och informatik  (hsv)

Information Systems  (his)

Informationssystem (IS)  (his)

Genre

government publication  (marcgt)

Indexterm och SAB-rubrik

digital health

digital mental health

eHealth

mental health

national survey

patient accessible electronic health record

patient experiences

patient portal

adult

article

clinician

controlled study

electronic health record

female

health care system

human

information processing

major clinical study

male

patient worry

shared decision making

Sweden

telehealth