Views, Use, and Experiences of Web-Based Access to Pediatric Electronic Health Records for Children, Adolescents, and Parents: Scoping Review

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental human right for all people, including adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) encompasses the right to comprehensive, medically accurate, and evidence-based sexual health information and healthcare services, as well as the ability to understand and exercise these rights. SRHR are essential to AYA's emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial development, physical and mental health, gender equality, and wider economic and social development. Access to sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual behavior, and reproduction, is critical to achieving healthy sexual development. A strong body of research demonstrates that access to comprehensive, confidential sexual and reproductive health education and healthcare services, as well as family and community supports, improves a range of outcomes for AYAs. These favorable outcomes include delays in the age of sexual debut, reductions in sexual activity rates and the number of sexual partners, and increases in contraception and condom use. While there have been significant advancements in SRHR across the globe, AYAs continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, human immunodeficiency virus, unintended pregnancy, reproductive coercion, and sexual exploitation, as well as violence based on sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and gender identity. These disparities contribute to morbidity, mortality, and health inequities. Accordingly, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine adopts the following positions: (1) comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare are fundamental human rights for all AYAs; (2) all AYAs should have universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare; (3) all AYA-serving clinicians should have requisite knowledge and skills to provide sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare, and nonclinical AYA professionals should be an SRHR resource and provide referrals; and (4) increased investments in AYA-related sexual and reproductive health education, services, research, and advocacy, with meaningful stakeholder engagement, are needed to actualize SRHR for AYAs. Further, AYAs should have a voice in SRHR interventions and policies that affect their lives to ensure these efforts are relevant and meet their needs. Opportunities to advance the SRHR of AYAs exist at each level of the socioecological system.

"Really Hard to Navigate": A Qualitative Study of Motivators, Barriers, and Supports of Adolescent-Clinician Communication on Patient Portals

PURPOSE

To understand how patient portals can support adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care needs and to identify factors impacting use of patient portals for adolescent-clinician communication.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with adolescents, parents/guardians, and primary care providers (PCPs) by video or phone. Interview guides explored experiences with adolescent healthcare-seeking generally and SRH care specifically, as well as perspectives regarding adolescent portal use. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and deidentified. Interviewer summaries written after each interview noted key themes that informed analysis. The analysis team collaboratively coded transcripts. Codes were synthesized into analytic memos, which were refined to develop results.

RESULTS

We interviewed 31 people from 1 health system: 10 adolescents 14-17 years old and 10 parents/guardians of adolescents aged 14-17, and 11 primary care providers (PCPs). A motivator of portal use shared by all participants included convenience of use. Clinicians and parents/guardians also viewed portals as a tool to support adolescent independence and improve quality of care. Barriers shared by all participants included lack of adolescent portal uptake and dissatisfaction with functionality. Clinicians and adolescents raised concerns about confidentiality while parents and clinicians raised concerns about safety of care. Supports shared by all participants included encouragement and guidance from trusted adults, while adolescents and clinicians described the reinforcing nature of positive care experiences using the portal.

DISCUSSION

Through the perspectives of adolescents, parents/guardians, and clinicians, we elucidated key factors that may influence adolescent portal use for SRH care needs. We identified critical intervention targets for future research.

Parental acceptance of novel children's medical syringes and their influencing factors

Background

With the rising global demand for medical syringes among children, the unsuitability of traditional syringes may negatively affect their physical and mental health.

Methods

This study integrates the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to survey 455 child guardians on 10 variables influencing their attitudes toward pediatric medical syringes.

Results

Results indicate that aesthetic preferences of users significantly influence the price value sensitivity and purchasing decisions of children's guardians. Furthermore, the product's function and price value significantly shape users' behavioral intentions. Technology anxiety and time and error reduction emerge as key factors influencing perceived risks.

Conclusions

This study offers product designers crucial insights into purchasing factors for children's medical products, aims to enhance product development and iteration efficiency, and promotes more accurate innovation, decision-making, and communication. Additionally, it proposes new recommendations for ethical and marketing strategies.

Teen Secure Messaging is Associated With Use of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in One Health System

PURPOSE

Patient portal use may improve access to or use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for adolescents. We examined the association between adolescent secure messaging on a portal and use of SRH services in one health system.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records of adolescents aged 13-17 at Kaiser Permanente Washington from 2019 to 2021. Using month of observation as our unit of analysis, we estimated unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between secure messages sent and 3 outcomes: (1) sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests ordered in the observed month, and among pregnancy-capable individuals; (2) pregnancy tests; and (3) prescription contraceptive methods ordered.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven thousand eight hundred eighteen unique individuals contributed 667,678 months of individual observation. Among observed months with STI testing, 6.1% sent secure messages compared to 1.1% in months with no STI testing. Observed months with secure messaging had significantly greater odds of STI tests ordered than months without messaging, after adjusting for covariates (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.5, 95% CI 2.9-4.3). Among observed months with prescription contraceptive orders, 5.0% sent a portal message compared to 1.4% without prescription contraceptive orders. Observed months with secure messaging among pregnancy-capable individuals had significantly greater odds of pregnancy tests (aOR 2.6, 95% CI 2.2-3.1) and prescription contraceptive orders (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7-2.2) than months without messaging.

DISCUSSION

The use of secure messaging by adolescents was more common among those with concurrent SRH care needs.

Acceptability of Adolescent Portal Access Policies to Parents and Adolescents: A Delphi Study

PURPOSE

United States healthcare systems have enacted varied adolescent online patient portal policies. No prior work has established whether these policies are acceptable to adolescents and parents.

METHODS

Mixed-method Delphi approach with 18 parents and 18 adolescents with and without chronic illness. We presented 19 policies related to (1) who can access different types of information through the portal; (2) timing of results release; and (3) portal messaging policies, such as whether individuals are charged for portal messages. Panelists voted on whether they "supported," "could live with," or "opposed" each policy.

RESULTS

Thirty-six panelists completed surveys with no attrition. For access-related policies, panelists opposed prohibiting parent or adolescent access, and they accepted policies that provided transparent access to sensitive and nonsensitive information for parents and adolescents. Panelists failed to reach consensus about whether adolescents should have the granular ability to determine which parts of the medical record their parents can see. For policies related to timing of release, panelists found either immediate or delayed access to results to be acceptable, although more panelists supported immediate access. For portal messaging policies, panelists supported the ability of parents and adolescents to send messages and opposed being charged for portal messages. Panelists found it acceptable for adolescents to see messages written by their parents, but failed to reach consensus on whether parents should see messages written by adolescents.

DISCUSSION

Some healthcare systems have implemented adolescent portal policies that panelists opposed or found concerning. Hospital leaders should consider these data as they re-evaluate institutional policies.

Adolescent and parental proxy online record access: analysis of the empirical evidence based on four bioethical principles

BACKGROUND

During recent decades, providing patients with access to their electronic health records (EHRs) has advanced in healthcare. In the European Union (EU), the General Data Protection Regulation provides individuals with the right to check their data in registries such as EHRs. A proposal for a European Health Data Space has been launched, which will further strengthen patients' right to have online access to their EHRs throughout Europe. Against these policy changes, scant attention has been paid to the ethical question about whether adolescents and parents should access the adolescent's EHR, and if so, under what conditions.

METHODS

In this paper, we apply biomedical ethical principles to explore key questions about adolescents' and parents' access to adolescents' EHRs, with the aim of informing future discussions about the development of ethical and policy practice guidelines.

RESULTS

Drawing on current empirical research, we find preliminary evidence that in some contexts, patient online record access (ORA) could help to facilitate autonomy for adolescents and parents as well as offering support in managing appointments and medications. Notably, however, we find contrasting perspectives between adolescents' and parents' experienced benefits and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) perceived potential harm, with the latter worried about decreased documentation quality after access. Concerns about capacity to understand their health information, and increased anxiety among adolescents obstruct the support of adolescent autonomy among parents and HCPs. Still, research is limited, particularly with respect to adolescents' experiences of reading their EHRs, and differences across settings have not been closely examined.

CONCLUSIONS

To advance more comprehensive understanding of the effects of ORA, and to inspire greater attention to, and development of, evidence-informed ethical guidance in this domain of clinical practice, we outline a range of empirical questions regarding adolescents' and parents' experiences that now warrant further study.

Perspectives on Swedish Regulations for Online Record Access Among Adolescents With Serious Health Issues and Their Parents: Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

With the increasing implementation of patient online record access (ORA), various approaches to access to minors' electronic health records have been adopted globally. In Sweden, the current regulatory framework restricts ORA for minors and their guardians when the minor is aged between 13 and 15 years. Families of adolescents with complex health care needs often desire health information to manage their child's care and involve them in their care. However, the perspectives of adolescents with serious health issues and their parents have not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the perceived benefits and risks of ORA and the awareness of and views on ORA regulations among adolescents with serious health issues and their parents in Sweden.

METHODS

We used a convergent mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) design, consisting of a survey and semistructured individual interviews with adolescents with serious health issues (aged 13-18 y) and their parents. Participants were recruited via social media and in clinics. Quantitative data were presented descriptively. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

The survey population included 88 individuals (adolescents: n=31, 35%; parents: n=57, 65%). Interviews were completed by 8 (26%) of the 31 adolescents and 17 (30%) of the 57 parents. The mean age of the surveyed adolescents was 16 (SD 1.458) years, and most of the parents (29/57, 51%) were aged 45 to 54 years. The surveys indicated that most of the parents (51/56, 91%) were critical of the access gap, and most of the adolescents (20/31, 65%) were unaware of the age at which they could gain access. In the interviews, adolescents and parents identified benefits related to ORA that were categorized into 6 themes (empowering adolescents, improved emotional state, enhanced documentation accuracy, improved partnership and communication, supported parental care management, and better prepared for appointments) and risks related to ORA that were categorized into 4 themes (emotional distress and confusion, threatened confidentiality, increased burden, and low usability). Adolescents' and parents' views on ORA regulations were categorized into 3 themes (challenges of the access gap, balancing respect for autonomy and support, and suggested regulatory change).

CONCLUSIONS

In Sweden, ORA regulations and a lack of available information cause significant inconvenience for adolescents with serious health issues and their parents. Views on access age limits differed, with adolescents expressing their perceived need for independent access, while parents exhibited concerns about adolescents having ORA. The findings indicated the importance of increased education, dialogue, and flexibility to uphold confidential and consistent delivery of adolescent health care. Further exploration is needed to understand the experiences of adolescents and parents in diverse clinical and geographic contexts, as well as the perspectives of pediatric health care professionals on restrictive ORA regulations.

Security and Privacy of Online Record Access: A Survey of Adolescents' Views and Experiences in Sweden

PURPOSE

Ensuring security of online health records and patients' perceptions of security are concerns in adolescent healthcare. Little is known about adolescents' perceptions about healthcare's ability to protect online health records. This article explores adolescents' perspectives on security and privacy of their online health records, potential differences based on gender and health, attitudes to sharing information, and perceptions of what constitutes sensitive information.

METHODS

This study included a subset of items from a national online patient survey conducted in Sweden (January-February 2022), focusing on respondents aged 15-19 years. Gender and health status differences were calculated using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS

Of 218 adolescent respondents (77.1% female), a minority had security and privacy concerns. A notable proportion (41.3%) wished to control who could see their records, and those who reported better perceived health were more likely to want to manage access to their electronic health record (H = 13.569, p = .009). Most had not experienced unauthorized access to their records (75.2%) and had never shared health information on other online applications (85.8%). More than half (56.0%) perceived some information as sensitive, where mental health was the most common (76.0%). Most felt that reading their notes improved their trust for their healthcare professional (65.6%) and supported better communication with healthcare professionals (66.5%).

DISCUSSION

In this national survey, adolescents generally reported few concerns about patient portals. Findings emphasize the need for security and privacy protection and to empower adolescents with greater control over access to their health information housed in electronic health record systems.

Pediatric Clinical Staff Perspectives on Secure Messaging

BACKGROUND

Secure messaging (SM) is a communication feature within a patient portal that allows patients and clinical staff to exchange health-related information securely and confidentially.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore how pediatric clinical staff use SM, identify challenges in its implementation, and suggest quality improvements.

METHODS

A descriptive quantitative study was administered using an online survey in a large health care system. The Task, User, Representation, and Function framework guided the research.

RESULTS

The survey participants were moderately satisfied with the SM. Opportunities to design this system to be more efficient and maximize patient safety were identified.

CONCLUSION

Improving training and workflow can aid in incorporating SM into clinician's daily routines, focusing on enhancing user satisfaction. Future developments aimed at increasing usage and standardizing message content are crucial for encouraging adoption and ensuring patient safety.

Exploring potential drivers of patient engagement with their health data through digital platforms: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Patient engagement when providing patient access to health data results from an interaction between the available tools and individual capabilities. The recent digital advancements of the healthcare field have altered the manifestation and importance of patient engagement. However, a comprehensive assessment of what factors contribute to patient engagement remain absent. In this review article, we synthesised the most frequently discussed factors that can foster patient engagement with their health data.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar. Relevant data were synthesized within 7 layers using a thematic analysis: (1) social and demographic factors, (2) patient ability factors, (3) patient motivation factors, (4) factors related to healthcare professionals' attitudes and skills, (5) health system factors, (6) technological factors, and (7) policy factors.

RESULTS

We identified 5801 academic and 200 Gy literature records, and included 292 (4.83%) in this review. Overall, 44 factors that can affect patient engagement with their health data were extracted. We extracted 6 social and demographic factors, 6 patient ability factors, 12 patient motivation factors, 7 factors related to healthcare professionals' attitudes and skills, 4 health system factors, 6 technological factors, and 3 policy factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving patient engagement with their health data enables the development of patient-centered healthcare, though it can also exacerbate existing inequities. While expanding patient access to health data is an important step towards fostering shared decision-making in healthcare and subsequently empowering patients, it is important to ensure that these developments reach all sectors of the community.

Minors' and guardian access to and use of a national patient portal: A retrospective comparative case study of Sweden and Finland

BACKGROUND

Approaches to implementing online record access (ORA) via patient portals for minors and guardians vary internationally, as more countries continue to develop patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHR) systems. Evidence of ORA usage and country-specific practices to allow or block minors' and guardians' access to minors' records during adolescence (i.e. access control practices) may provide a broader understanding of possible approaches and their implications for minors' confidentiality and guardian support.

AIM

To describe and compare minors' and guardian proxy users' PAEHR usage in Sweden and Finland. Furthermore, to investigate the use of country-specific access control practices.

METHODS

A retrospective, observational case study was conducted. Data were collected from PAEHR administration services in Sweden and Finland and proportional use was calculated based on population statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results.

RESULTS

In both Sweden and Finland, the proportion of adolescents accessing their PAEHR increased from younger to older age-groups reaching the proportion of 59.9 % in Sweden and 84.8 % in Finland in the age-group of 17-year-olds. The PAEHR access gap during early adolescence in Sweden may explain the lower proportion of users among those who enter adulthood. Around half of guardians in Finland accessed their minor children's records in 2022 (46.1 %), while Swedish guardian use was the highest in 2022 for newborn children (41.8 %), and decreased thereafter. Few, mainly guardians, applied for extended access in Sweden. In Finland, where a case-by-case approach to access control relies on healthcare professionals' (HCPs) consideration of a minor's maturity, 95.8 % of minors chose to disclose prescription information to their guardians.

CONCLUSION

While age-based access control practices can hamper ORA for minors and guardians, case-by-case approach requires HCP resources and careful guidance to ensure equality between patients. Guardians primarily access minors' records during early childhood and adolescents show willingness to share their PAEHR with parents.

A Nordic Perspective on Patient Online Record Access and the European Health Data Space

The Nordic countries are, together with the United States, forerunners in online record access (ORA), which has now become widespread. The importance of accessible and structured health data has also been highlighted by policy makers internationally. To ensure the full realization of ORA's potential in the short and long term, there is a pressing need to study ORA from a cross-disciplinary, clinical, humanistic, and social sciences perspective that looks beyond strictly technical aspects. In this viewpoint paper, we explore the policy changes in the European Health Data Space (EHDS) proposal to advance ORA across the European Union, informed by our research in a Nordic-led project that carries out the first of its kind, large-scale international investigation of patients' ORA-NORDeHEALTH (Nordic eHealth for Patients: Benchmarking and Developing for the Future). We argue that the EHDS proposal will pave the way for patients to access and control third-party access to their electronic health records. In our analysis of the proposal, we have identified five key principles for ORA: (1) the right to access, (2) proxy access, (3) patient input of their own data, (4) error and omission rectification, and (5) access control. ORA implementation today is fragmented throughout Europe, and the EHDS proposal aims to ensure all European citizens have equal online access to their health data. However, we argue that in order to implement the EHDS, we need more research evidence on the key ORA principles we have identified in our analysis. Results from the NORDeHEALTH project provide some of that evidence, but we have also identified important knowledge gaps that still need further exploration.

Development of Recommendations for the Digital Sharing of Notes With Adolescents in Mental Health Care: Delphi Study

Background

In many countries, health care professionals are legally obliged to share information from electronic health records with patients. However, concerns have been raised regarding the sharing of notes with adolescents in mental health care, and health care professionals have called for recommendations to guide this practice.

Objective

The aim was to reach a consensus among authors of scientific papers on recommendations for health care professionals' digital sharing of notes with adolescents in mental health care and to investigate whether staff at child and adolescent specialist mental health care clinics agreed with the recommendations.

Methods

A Delphi study was conducted with authors of scientific papers to reach a consensus on recommendations. The process of making the recommendations involved three steps. First, scientific papers meeting the eligibility criteria were identified through a PubMed search where the references were screened. Second, the results from the included papers were coded and transformed into recommendations in an iterative process. Third, the authors of the included papers were asked to provide feedback and consider their agreement with each of the suggested recommendations in two rounds. After the Delphi process, a cross-sectional study was conducted among staff at specialist child and adolescent mental health care clinics to assess whether they agreed with the recommendations that reached a consensus.

Results

Of the 84 invited authors, 27 responded. A consensus was reached on 17 recommendations on areas related to digital sharing of notes with adolescents in mental health care. The recommendations considered how to introduce digital access to notes, write notes, and support health care professionals, and when to withhold notes. Of the 41 staff members at child and adolescent specialist mental health care clinics, 60% or more agreed with the 17 recommendations. No consensus was reached regarding the age at which adolescents should receive digital access to their notes and the timing of digitally sharing notes with parents.

Conclusions

A total of 17 recommendations related to key aspects of health care professionals' digital sharing of notes with adolescents in mental health care achieved consensus. Health care professionals can use these recommendations to guide their practice of sharing notes with adolescents in mental health care. However, the effects and experiences of following these recommendations should be tested in clinical practice.

Confidentiality in the Care of Adolescents: Technical Report

Confidentiality is a foundational element of high-quality, accessible, and equitable health care. Despite strong grounding in federal and state laws, professional guidelines, and ethical standards, health care professionals and adolescent patients face a range of complexities and barriers to seeking and providing confidential care to adolescents across different settings and circumstances. The dynamic needs of adolescents, the oftentimes competing interests of key stakeholders, the rapidly evolving technological context of care, and variable health care billing and claims requirements are all important considerations in understanding how to optimize care to focus on and meet the needs of the adolescent patient. The following assessment of the evolving evidence base offers a view of the current state and best practices while pointing to numerous unmet needs and opportunities for improvement in the care experiences of youth as well as their health outcomes.

The Effect of Using a Client-Accessible Health Record on Perceived Quality of Care: Interview Study Among Parents and Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) are assumed to enhance the quality of care, expressed in terms of safety, effectiveness, timeliness, person centeredness, efficiency, and equity. However, research on the impact of PAEHRs on the perceived quality of care among parents, children, and adolescents is largely lacking. In the Netherlands, a PAEHR (Iuvenelis) was developed for preventive child health care and youth care. Parents and adolescents had access to its full content, could manage appointments, ask questions, and comment on written reports.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess whether and how using this PAEHR contributes to perceived quality of care from a client's perspective.

METHODS

We chose a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach to explore how parents and adolescents perceived the impact of using a PAEHR on quality of care. In-depth interviews that simultaneously included 1 to 3 people were conducted in 2021. In total, 20 participants were included in the study, representing parents and adolescents, both sexes, different educational levels, different native countries, and all participating municipalities. Within this group, 7 of 13 (54%) parents had not previously been informed about the existence of a client portal. Their expectations of using the client portal, in relation to quality of care, were discussed after a demonstration of the portal.

RESULTS

Parents and adolescents perceived that using Iuvenelis contributed to the quality of care because they felt better informed and more involved in the care process than before the introduction of Iuvenelis. Moreover, they experienced more control over their health data, faster and simpler access to their health information, and found it easier to manage appointments or ask questions at their convenience. Parents from a migratory background, among whom 6 of 7 (86%) had not previously been informed about the portal, expected that portal access would enhance their understanding of and control over their care processes. The parents expressed concerns about equity because parents from a migratory background might have less access to the service. Nevertheless, portal usability was regarded as high. Furthermore, both parents and adolescents saw room for improvement in the broader interdisciplinary use of Iuvenelis and the quality of reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Using Iuvenelis can contribute to the client-experienced quality of care, more specifically to perceived person centeredness, timeliness, safety, efficiency, and integration of care. However, some quality aspects, such as equity, still need addressing. In general, client information about the portal needs to be improved, specifically focusing on people in vulnerable circumstances, such as those from migratory backgrounds. In addition, to maximize the potential benefit of using Iuvenelis, stimulating a person-centered attitude among professionals is important. Considering the small number of adolescent participants (n=7), adding quantitative data from a structured survey could strengthen the available evidence.

Guiding Principles for Adolescent Web-Based Portal Access Policies: Interviews With Informatics Administrators

BACKGROUND

Web-based patient portals are tools that could support adolescents in managing their health and developing autonomy. However, informatics administrators must navigate competing interests when developing portal access policies for adolescents and their parents.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the perspectives of informatics administrators on guiding principles for the development of web-based health care portal access policies in adolescent health care.

METHODS

We interviewed informatics administrators from US hospitals with ≥50 dedicated pediatric beds. We performed a thematic analysis of guiding principles for developing and implementing adolescent portal access policies.

RESULTS

We interviewed 65 informatics leaders who represented 63 pediatric hospitals, 58 health care systems, 29 states, and 14,379 pediatric hospital beds. Participants described 9 guiding principles related to three overarching themes: (1) balancing confidentiality and other care needs, (2) balancing simplicity and granularity, and (3) collaborating and advocating. Participants described the central importance of prioritizing the health and safety of the adolescent while also complying with state and federal laws. However, there were differing beliefs about how to prioritize health and safety and what role parents should play in supporting the adolescent's health care. Participants also identified areas where clinicians and institutions can advocate for adolescents, especially with electronic health record vendors and legislators.

CONCLUSIONS

Informatics administrators provided guiding principles for adolescent portal access policies that aimed to balance the competing needs of adolescent confidentiality and the usefulness of the portal. Portal access policies must prioritize the adolescent's health and safety while complying with state and federal laws. However, institutions must determine how to best enact these principles. Institutions and clinicians should strive for consensus on principles to strengthen advocacy efforts with institutional leadership, electronic health record vendors, and lawmakers.

Adolescents' reasons for accessing their health records online, perceived usefulness and experienced provider encouragement: a national survey in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Having online access to electronic health records (EHRs) may help patients become engaged in their care at an early age. However, little is known about adolescents using patient portals. A national survey conducted within the Nordic eHealth project NORDeHEALTH provided an important opportunity to advance our understanding of adolescent users of patient portals. The present study explored reasons for reading the EHRs, the perceived usefulness of information and functions in a patient portal and the association between frequency of use and encouragement to read the EHR.

METHODS

Data were collected in a survey using convenience sampling, available through the Swedish online health portal during 3 weeks in January and February 2022. This study included a subset of items and only respondents aged 15-19. Demographic factors and frequencies on Likert-style questions were reported with descriptive statistics, while Fisher's exact test was used to explore differences in use frequency based on having been encouraged to read by a healthcare professional (HCP).

RESULTS

Of 13 008 users who completed the survey, 218 (1.7%) were unique users aged 15-19 (females: 77.1%). One-fifth (47/218, 21.6%) had been encouraged by HCPs to read their records, and having been encouraged by HCPs was related to higher use frequency (p=0.018). All types of information were rated high on usefulness, while some functions were rated low, such as blocking specific clinical notes from HCPs and managing services for family members. The main reason for reading their health records online was out of curiosity.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents who read their records online perceive it to be useful. Encouragement by HCPs can lead to increased use of patient portals among adolescents. Findings should be considered in the future design of patient portals for adolescents.

Confidentiality in Primary Care Pediatrics

Confidentiality is a core component of adolescent health. Confidentiality is shown to be a basic human right that is in the best interest of the adolescent, addresses health inequities, and supports adolescents' developing capacity. Practical aspects of confidentiality are discussed, resources provided to navigate a changing legal landscape, and threats to confidentiality addressed. Although confidentiality can be a source of conflict with parents and caregivers, pediatric providers can use confidentiality to assist parents and caregivers in shifting from making decisions for the adolescent to supporting the adolescent in making their own health decisions, thus facilitating a healthy transition to adulthood.

Open AI meets open notes: surveillance capitalism, patient privacy and online record access

Patient online record access (ORA) is spreading worldwide, and in some countries, including Sweden, and the USA, access is advanced with patients obtaining rapid access to their full records. In the UK context, from 31 October 2023 as part of the new NHS England general practitioner (GP) contract it will be mandatory for GPs to offer ORA to patients aged 16 and older. Patients report many benefits from reading their clinical records including feeling more empowered, better understanding and remembering their treatment plan, and greater awareness about medications including possible adverse effects. However, a variety of indirect evidence suggests these benefits are unlikely to accrue without supplementation from internet-based resources. Using such routes to augment interpretation of the data and notes housed in electronic health records, however, comes with trade-offs in terms of exposing sensitive patient information to internet corporations. Furthermore, increased work burdens on clinicians, including the unique demands of ORA, combined with the easy availability and capability of a new generation of large language model (LLM)-powered chatbots, create a perfect collision course for exposing sensitive patient information to private tech companies. This paper surveys how ORA intersects with internet associated privacy risks and offers a variety of multilevel suggestions for how these risks might be better mitigated.

Adolescent patient portals and concerns about confidentiality

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To better understand confidentiality issues that arise from adolescent access to patient portals.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies have evaluated the views of teens, parents, providers, and institutional leadership on adolescent patient portals and the risks they pose to adolescent privacy. Additional investigations have shown that teen portal accounts are often inappropriately accessed by parents. Guidelines are needed to better inform the creation of secure teen patient portals. Adolescent providers and other medical staff should be aware of the information available on portals, how to ensure portals are being accessed appropriately, and the potential for confidentiality breaches that come with portal use. Medical organizations that offer portal access need to provide resources to adolescents and their families to improve understanding around the importance of confidential care and how to maintain confidentiality while still engaging meaningfully with the healthcare system through patient portals.

SUMMARY

Adolescents realize the benefits portals may offer regarding improved understanding of their health conditions, communication with their providers, and autonomy in their healthcare decisions. However, confidentiality of patient portals is a major concern and a potential barrier to adolescent portal utilization. Adolescent providers should be aware of the limitations of portal systems and advocate for improved confidentiality functionality to ensure teens can access the benefits of patient portals without any harm.