Most patients want to see test results in patient portal as soon as possible

A recent survey found that most patients would prefer to have access to test results via a patient portal as soon as possible, even before discussing the results with their healthcare provider. Patients with abnormal test results also shared this view.

The study analyzed responses from 8139 respondents who had accessed test results via an online patient portal account. Most respondents were female (63.0%) and there was a median age of 64 years.

Nearly all the respondents (95.7%) preferred viewing test results immediately through the portal. Of the 2453 individuals who received nonnormal results, 95.3% preferred to immediately view results.

Increased worry was noted as the reason 7.5% of respondents did not like viewing results before discussing them with a health care practitioner. A pooled model suggests that there may be an association between worry and nonnormal results.

Reference
Steitz BD, Turer RW, Lin CT, et al. Perspectives of Patients About Immediate Access to Test Results Through an Online Patient Portal. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(3):e233572. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.3572. PMID: 36939703; PMCID: PMC10028486.