Report: More hospital patients can access medical records, perform key tasks online

Hospitals are offering individuals more electronic access to their medical information than ever before, according to a new AHA TrendWatch report highlighting patient access-related results from the AHA Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement. For example, 92% of hospitals last year offered patients the ability to view their medical records online, up from 43% in 2013; 84% allowed patients to download information from their medical record, up from 30% in 2013; and 70% allowed a referral summary to be sent to a third party, up from 13% in 2013. Patients also have a growing ability to interact with their providers and perform routine tasks online, such as pay bills (74%), securely message their care providers (63%) and make medical appointments (45%). “As more hospitals are able to offer these services, individuals will have more insight into their medical data and the ability to interact with care providers at times and in ways that are convenient for the patient,” the report notes.