The 5th annual Xerox EHR survey in 2014 reported that 35% of Americans were unsure whether their physician offered patient portal to access their health records online. The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Xerox. It was also reported that 31% of those surveyed reported that their physician never mentioned a patient portal to the patient. The survey also confirmed that two of every three older Americans have multiple chronic conditions. Treatment for this population accounts for 66 percent of the country’s healthcare budget.
Many baby boomers who do not use portals say they would be much more engaged in their care if they received access to medical information online (56 percent of those ages 55 to 64, and 46 percent of those ages 65 or older).
Patients 55 to 64 accounted for the highest percentage (83%) of Americans who say they already do or would communicate with healthcare providers via a patient portal. In that same group, 70% say they do or would schedule their appointments online if offered by the patient portal. 64% confirmed they would access/review medical records/test results online while 58% would order prescription refills and 40% would request a referral to another doctor online.
If your healthcare provider is not currently providing online access to your health records then chances are they are not complying with new federal guidelines. Granting online access to your health records is no longer an option but the law. To learn how you can access your health records online please have your healthcare provider contact ViewMyHealthRecords.com today.