Immediate Release of Prostate Biopsy Results: Perspectives From Patients and Providers

To evaluate patient and provider perspectives on the immediate electronic release of prostate biopsy results under the 21st Century Cures Act.

We conducted a cross-sectional, two-part IRB-approved survey study: (1) anonymous, unpaired pre-biopsy (n = 81) and post-biopsy (n = 44) patient surveys at a single academic urology practice, and (2) an anonymous email survey of practicing AUA clinicians in the New England region (n = 58). Patient surveys assessed portal use, preferences for result release timing, comprehension, satisfaction, and anxiety. Provider surveys assessed policy awareness, preferred release approach, satisfaction, and perceived impact on patient communications. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for analysis.

Pre-biopsy, 63.2% of patients preferred immediate release of results; 84.1% accessed results via the portal before their follow-up. Comprehension was high (77.1% found results easy to understand), increasing further after clinician counseling (92.1%). Satisfaction with the release process (86.8%) and counseling (89.5%) was high. Anxiety decreased after counseling (52.5% felt "okay" post-counseling vs 16.9% pre-biopsy). Among 58 providers, 76% were aware of the legal mandate, but fewer than 10% preferred the current immediate-release policy. Provider dissatisfaction was significantly associated with more frequent patient messaging/calls (χ² = 16.61, P = .002).

Patients generally favor and are satisfied with immediate release of prostate biopsy results, while providers prefer delayed or mediated disclosure. Reconciling these perspectives through supplemental communication tools, patient-centered report formats, and expedited counseling workflows may optimize outcomes under federal transparency mandates.