Errors That Matter: Negative Experiences of Incorrect and Incomplete Health Records Among Youth in Mental Healthcare

Online record access (ORA) is becoming available to more young patients, enabling early care engagement. However, the electronic health records (EHRs) may contain inaccuracies, to which some populations may be more vulnerable. Using Swedish data from the NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey, we explored errors of commission and omission identified in EHRs by adolescent and young adults (AYAs) and their association to self-reported negative experiences, comparing patients in and outside of mental healthcare (MHC). Of 627 AYA survey respondents aged 15-24, more than half (58%) reported having received MHC in the last two years. Having received MHC was linked to higher likelihood of reporting a very negative experience and finding errors. While only omissions predicted adverse experiences for MHC respondents, both errors of commission and omission did so for non-MHC patients. Error categories were similar across groups, with some exceptions. These findings indicate that young patients in MHC may perceive some errors in the EHRs differently from other patients, warranting further efforts to promote transparency and dialogue around EHR documentation.