The investigators explored preferences about sharing electronic health information among users of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) PHR (personal health record) system, My HealtheVet. The study was Web-based survey of a 18,471 users of My HealtheVet.
Almost 4 of 5 respondents (79%) were interested in sharing access to their PHR with someone outside of their health system (62% with a spouse or partner, 23% with a child, 15% with another family member, and 25% with a non-VA health care provider).
As a consultant, it would be of tremendous assistance to access electronic records from referring providers. At the least, it would make my job easier. The digital age and electronic medical records should, in theory, reduce information asymmetry between patients and providers. Access to the one's electronic health record should, in theory, engage patients in their care by instilling a sense of ownership and should allow for easier provider to provider communication, thereby making care more efficient and reducing redundancy in testing and treatment. Provided that HIPPA (health information privacy) standards are upheld, a technical breakthrough may be at hand.
All of the proposed benefits, however, remain largely theoretical given that no real body of literature exists to prove the tangible, long term benefits or hazards of a shared, electronic patient record. This must be a focus of research as the use of shared electronic records proliferate.
