Dataset Information

Patterns in Patient Access and Utilization of Online Medical Records: Analysis of MyChart.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Electronic patient portals provide a new method for sharing personal medical information with individual patients.

Objective

Our aim was to review utilization patterns of the largest online patient portal in Canada's largest city.

Methods

We conducted a 4-year time-trend analysis of aggregated anonymous utilization data of the MyChart patient portal at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada, from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2015. Prespecified analyses examined trends related to day (weekend vs weekday), season (July vs January), year (2012 vs 2015), and an extreme adverse weather event (ice storm of December 20-26, 2013). Primary endpoints included three measures of patient portal activity: registrations, logins, and pageviews.

Results

We identified 32,325 patients who registered for a MyChart account during the study interval. Time-trend analysis showed no sign of attenuating registrations over time. Logins were frequent, averaged 734 total per day, and showed an increasing trend over time. Pageviews mirrored logins, averaged about 3029 total per day, and equated to about 5 pageviews during the average login. The most popular pageviews were clinical notes, followed by laboratory results and medical imaging reports. All measures of patient activity were lower on weekends compared to weekdays (P<.001) yet showed no significant changes related to seasons or extreme weather. No major security breach, malware attack, or software failure occurred during the study.

Conclusions

Online patient portals can provide a popular and reliable system for distributing personal medical information to active patients and may merit consideration for hospitals.

SUBMITTER: Redelmeier DA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5820458 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Patterns in Patient Access and Utilization of Online Medical Records: Analysis of MyChart.

Redelmeier Donald A DA Kraus Nicole C NC

Journal of medical Internet research 20180206 2

<h4>Background</h4>Electronic patient portals provide a new method for sharing personal medical information with individual patients.<h4>Objective</h4>Our aim was to review utilization patterns of the largest online patient portal in Canada's largest city.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a 4-year time-trend analysis of aggregated anonymous utilization data of the MyChart patient portal at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada, from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2015. Prespecif ...[more]

PMID: 29410386

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Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of providing patients online access to their electronic health record (EHR) and linked transactional services on the provision, quality and safety of healthcare. The objectives are also to identify and understand: barriers and facilitators for providing online access to their records and services for primary care workers; and their association with organisational/IT system issues.SettingPrimary care.ParticipantsA total of 143 studies were included. 17 were experimental in design and subject to risk of bias assessment, which is reported in a separate paper. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria have also been published elsewhere in the protocol.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOur primary outcome measure was change in quality or safety as a result of implementation or utilisation of online records/transactional services.ResultsNo studies reported changes in health outcomes; though eight detected medication errors and seven reported improved uptake of preventative care. Professional concerns over privacy were reported in 14 studies. 18 studies reported concern over potential increased workload; with some showing an increase workload in email or online messaging; telephone contact remaining unchanged, and face-to face contact staying the same or falling. Owing to heterogeneity in reporting overall workload change was hard to predict. 10 studies reported how online access offered convenience, primarily for more advantaged patients, who were largely highly satisfied with the process when clinician responses were prompt.ConclusionsPatient online access and services offer increased convenience and satisfaction. However, professionals were concerned about impact on workload and risk to privacy. Studies correcting medication errors may improve patient safety. There may need to be a redesign of the business process to engage health professionals in online access and of the EHR to make it friendlier and provide equity of access to a wider group of patients. A1 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42012003091.

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Dataset Information

Patterns in Patient Access and Utilization of Online Medical Records: Analysis of MyChart.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Patterns in Patient Access and Utilization of Online Medical Records: Analysis of MyChart.

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