Patients who utilize online patient portals often forego accessing their radiology results. New research examines the potential reasoning behind this.
The analysis included 424,422 patients, of whom 138,783 (32.7%) were enrolled in a single healthcare system’s patient portal. Out of the patients who were enrolled, just 27.1% utilized their access to radiology reports.
Junjian Huang, of the Department of Radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and co-authors sought to better understand what factors might prevent patients from fully utilizing online patient portals. They shared the details of their research recently in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology.
“There is a paucity of data specifically examining patient access to and use of radiology reports within the patient portal global environment,” the authors noted.
The team examined activity on the system’s patient portal over the span of 13 months to assess patients’ interactions with it. Specifically, they compared the use of the portal’s radiology tab (RADTAB), where imaging results could be accessed, to its laboratory tab (LABTAB), where patients found their lab results.
The analysis revealed that a significantly higher proportion of patients used the LABTAB (47.2%) compared to the RADTAB (27.1%). The researchers noted that demographic differences did not account for the difference in utilization.
The experts offered a few potential explanations for the variance.
First, the LABTAB color-coded its results to designate either ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ results, making findings easier for patients to understand. Additionally, the RADTAB was not included under the portal’s results section, which the experts pointed out could be confusing to patients. The LABTAB also included “Learn More About This” options within that section that better explained the patients’ lab results.
Although patient portals vary in design, each of these considerations should be made when comprising tabs that give patients access to their radiology results, the authors suggested, adding that embedding images and hyperlinks that help to more thoroughly explain the contents of radiology reports would be beneficial to both patients and providers. They also indicated that opening the lines of communication between radiologists and patients within the portal could increase engagement and further enhance the radiologist’s role in patient care.
“The patient portal may be the outlet that radiologists use to place themselves at the forefront of patient care in an ostensible manner,” Huang and co-authors wrote.
The study abstract can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.