ONC: Access to personal health information getting easier, barriers remain

An informed patient is a healthy patient. Having access to personal health information (PHI) helps patients manage their health better, make informed decisions, improve their likelihood of positive outcomes and contributes to lowering system-wide healthcare costs. Despite the benefits and the capability in the form of personal health records (PHRs), barriers still prevent access to PHI, according to a June 3 policy brief from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

“Many individuals are unaware of their legal right to ask for a copy of their health information from their providers,” wrote the brief’s author, Jamie Skipper, RN, PhD. “There are also cultural and operational challenges that may prevent individuals from asking for and receiving a copy of their records, such as limited time during office visits, an unwillingness to be viewed as challenging their doctor, or non-standardized provider processes to support the individual’s request for a copy of her records.”

While HIPPA, the HITECH Act, EHR incentive programs and other initiatives have somewhat alleviated the barriers to receiving PHI, others remain. Patient identification, privacy concerns with PHRs and incompatibility between PHRs and EHRs make delivering sensitive information to the right person difficult for providers.

“The ONC has been working with federal, state and private partners to leverage current legislation and regulations to design health IT policies and programs that enhance individuals’ electronic access to their information in a timely manner,” Skipper wrote.

The complete policy brief is available here.