RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Challenges and Opportunities for the Medical Laboratory in the Era of Direct Patient Access to Test Results
JF American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
JO Clin Lab Sci
FD American Society of Chemistry and Laboratory Science
DO 10.29074/ascls.2021003164
A1 Nuñez-Argote, Letycia
A1 Veazey Brooks, Joanna
YR 2024
UL http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/early/2024/09/09/ascls.2021003164.abstract
AB Providing patients access to their health records promises to improve patient safety. However, there are concerns that clinical laboratory test results are not optimized for patient interaction through web portals. We asked medical laboratory professionals (MLPs) about the current state of direct patient access (DPA) to electronic health records to assess their knowledge and attitudes on how this may affect laboratory practice. Data were collected through interviews with MLPs working in clinical laboratories in the United States (n = 15), which were analyzed following a grounded theory qualitative approach. We found that MLPs’ perspectives on DPA were informed by the area of the laboratory where they worked and by perceptions about patients’ understanding of test results. Knowledge and attitudes differed based on test type, laboratory process, and laboratory setting. While respondents agreed that web portals could support patient self-advocacy, they cautioned that test information could be misconstrued by patients who see values without the guidance of a clinician. The level of MLPs’ interactions with patients varied, but they all agreed that communicating results to patients was outside their scope of practice. Additional efforts must be directed at empowering the laboratory workforce to share pertinent medical information adequately and effectively to patients.