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Appl Clin Inform 2022; 13(01): 242-251
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1743236
Research Article

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Patient-Requested Corrections to the Medical Record through Use of a Patient Portal: Findings from a National Survey

Oliver T. Nguyen
1   Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
2   Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
,
Young-Rock Hong
3   Department of Health Services Research, Management, and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
,
Amir Alishahi Tabriz
2   Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
4   Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States
,
Karim Hanna
5   Department of Family Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, United States
,
Kea Turner
2   Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
4   Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States
6   Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding This study received no specific funding from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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Abstract

Background Providing patients with medical records access is one strategy that health systems can utilize to reduce medical errors. However, how often patients request corrections to their records on a national scale is unknown.

Objectives We aimed to develop population-level estimates of patients who request corrections to their medical records using national-level data. We also identified patient-level correlates of requesting corrections.

Methods We used the 2017 and 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey and examined all patient portal adopters. We applied jackknife replicate weights to develop population-representative estimates of the prevalence of requesting medical record corrections. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify correlates of requesting corrections while controlling for demographic factors, health care utilization patterns, health status, technology/internet use patterns, and year.

Results Across 1,657 respondents, 125 (weighted estimate: 6.5%) reported requesting corrections to their medical records. In unadjusted models, greater odds of requesting corrections were observed among patients who reported their race/ethnicity as non-Hispanic black (odds ratio [OR]: 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–4.43), had frequent portal visits (OR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.51–10.23), and had entered data into the portal (OR: 7.51, 95% CI: 4.08–13.81). In adjusted models, we found greater odds of requesting corrections among those who reported frequent portal visits (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.24–9.33) and those who reported entering data into the portal (OR: 6.43, 95% CI: 3.20–12.94). No other significant differences were observed.

Conclusion Prior to the Information Blocking Final Rule in April 2021, approximately 6.5% of patients requested corrections of errors in their medical records at the national level. Those who reported higher engagement with their health, as proxied by portal visit frequency and entering data into the portal, were more likely to request corrections.

Keywords

documentation - patient portal - patient engagement

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

The University of Florida Institutional Review Board reviewed the protocol and approved the study as exempt.


Author Contributions

This work represents the original research of the authors. This work has not been previously published. O.T.N. and K.T. conceptualized the study. O.T.N. drafted the manuscript. O.T.N. analyzed the data. All authors participated in the interpretation of data. Y-.R.H., A.A.T., K.H., and K.T. provided critical revisions to the manuscript. All authors approved the submission.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 25 August 2021

Accepted: 31 December 2021

Article published online:
23 February 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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