Among patients who learned of their cancer diagnosis through an online portal, 59% were alone at the time, according to a study published June 24 in JAMA Network Open.
The 21st Century Cures Act requires healthcare organizations provide patients with timely, unrestricted access to their electronic health information.
Researchers from Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center surveyed 2,412 patients diagnosed with cancer at University of Texas Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center between Jan. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2023.
Here are five notes from the study:
- Of all survey respondents, 84% received their diagnosis through care team communication — 59% during an in-person or telemedicine visit and 25% during a telephone call — while 7% of respondents first learned of their diagnosis through an online portal.
- Among patients who received their diagnosis through the portal, 71% were at home and 59% were alone at the time.
Of those patients, 54% said they would prefer receiving a diagnosis via the portal in the future while 42% said they would prefer their diagnosis to be delivered by a physician. - Among patients who received their diagnosis from a clinician, 79% said they preferred this method while 20% said they preferred learning of their diagnosis via portal.
Men and high-frequency portal users were more likely to prefer learning of their cancer diagnosis through the portal. - Of all survey respondents, 75% said they preferred clinician communication and 23% said they preferred communication through the portal.
- Potential solutions to address patients receiving cancer diagnoses through a portal include “improving clinician and patient awareness of available portal notification settings; developing tiered or delayed-release approaches for particularly sensitive findings; and integrating supportive digital tools such as plain-language summaries for radiology and pathology reports,” researchers said in a June 24 news release from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Read the full study here.
At the Becker's Perioperative Summit, taking place September 14–15 in Chicago, perioperative leaders and healthcare executives will focus on improving operating room efficiency, enhancing patient safety, optimizing staffing and driving innovation across surgical services. Apply for complimentary registration now.
