Multi-institutional Experience with Patient Image Access Through Electronic Health Record Patient Portals.

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Online patient portals increasingly offer access to medical imaging.
• Understanding patient utilization and radiologist impact is crucial for optimizing these systems.
• Few studies have assessed the real-world impact of direct patient image access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify patient utilization rates of online radiology image viewing.
• To assess the impact of patient image access on radiologists' workflow and perceptions.
• To identify potential concerns and benefits associated with patient portal image viewing.

Main Methods:

• Multi-institutional retrospective analysis of patient image viewing data from electronic patient portals.
• Anonymous survey distributed to radiologists at participating institutions to gauge workflow impact.
• Comparison of online image views against total viewable imaging studies.

Main Results:

• Patients viewed 14.2% of available radiology exams, with monthly access rates varying significantly.
• A majority of surveyed radiologists (76%) reported no impact on their role; 11.8% noted negative impacts.
• Most radiologists were not contacted by patients, but those who were raised concerns about patient confusion and the need for clear reporting.

Conclusions:

• Patient utilization of online radiology image viewing is currently low, with minimal overall impact on radiologists' workflow.
• While supportive of healthcare transparency, radiologists express concerns regarding potential patient anxiety and misinterpretation of images.
• Workflow modifications and clear communication strategies may be necessary to support patients accessing their radiology images online.