Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37266981›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2023

The Effects of Online Access to General Practice Medical Records Perceived by Patients: Longitudinal Survey Study.

Rosa R L C Thielmann, Ciska Hoving, Jochen W L Cals, Rik Crutzen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rosa R L C ThielmannSchool for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-6404-688X
Ciska HovingSchool for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1357-863X
Jochen W L CalsSchool for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9550-5674
Rik CrutzenSchool for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-3731-6610

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatient online access to medical records is assumed to facilitate patient empowerment and advance patient-centered health care. However, to date, the actual effects of online access to medical records perceived by patients and other outcomes are insufficiently empirically tested.

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of online access to medical records on patient empowerment, informed decision-making, and the patient-provider relationship perceived by patients.

methodsA nationwide, 2-wave, longitudinal survey study was conducted among Dutch adults (N=2402). Linear regression analyses were performed. In model 1, the perceived effects of online access to medical records (measured at T1 [first measurement; July 2021]) on 16 outcomes (measured at T2 [second measurement; January 2022]), which were associated with the use of online access to general practice medical records in previous research, were investigated. Model 2 included sociodemographic factors and patient characteristics as confounders.

resultsUsers indicated more strongly than nonusers that online access to medical records would increase their participation in health care, improve the relationship with their general practitioner, and support informed decision-making. These results were robust when adjusted for the influence of confounders. Effect sizes were very small, with unstandardized regression coefficients (B) ranging between -0.39 and 0.28. Higher digital and health literacy were associated with higher ratings of almost all effects.

conclusionsOnline access to medical records has the potential to empower patients and foster informed decision-making among patients. The effects in this study were small but might grow over time. Other factors, such as the attitude of general practitioners toward online access to medical records, might moderate these effects. The results indicate that the potential benefits of online access to medical records might be unevenly distributed. We suggest future exploration of the conditions under which online access to medical records can improve health care system functioning and efficiency without increasing health inequality.

Indexed as

Electronic Health RecordsGeneral PracticeAdultHealth Status DisparitiesHumansLongitudinal StudiesPatient ParticipationSurveys and Questionnaireselectronic health recordsinformed decision-makingmedical recordspatient access to recordspatient empowermentpatient participationpatient portalspersonal health records

Identifiers

PMID37266981
PMCPMC10276325

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.