Sharing imaging results online with patients: Data from Group Health Cooperative

This post is a tad bit belated (compared to when I received the information, not compared to health care having this experience, it’s way ahead of it’s time there), however I think the data is useful. Now that Group Health Cooperative (@GroupHealth) has been sharing imaging results online with patents for about 15 months now (See: What Group Health Physicians are saying about sharing imaging test results with patients – 1 year later | Ted Eytan, MD), the question came up:

What percent of the studies that are shared online with patients are actually read online by patients?

This question is asked because if physicians are anxious/concerned about receiving more communication (email/phone/in person) about these studies and they know that they are mostly being read by patients and phone calls/emails are not going up, this is reassuring beyond the reassurance that patients are active participants in their care.

And the answer is: for patients who are registered for access to MyGroupHealth (about 62% currently), 2/3rds of results are read by the patient.

		% potentially
		viewed % reviewed
	CT  		53% 	67%
	Fluoro* 	76% 	92%
	MRI 		65% 	76%
	Nuc Med 	93% 	54%
	U/S 		65% 	64%
	PET* 	100% 	75%
	Total: 		64% 	69%
				
	X-Ray 		67% 	67%
	Mammo 		67% 	65%
	Dexa 		75% 	80%
	Total: 		67% 	67%
				
	Overall: 	66% 	67%

* Not enough volume to accurately judge

So, 62% of the adult membership of Group Health Cooperative is signed up to use the MyGroupHealth portal, of those who are signed up and have an imaging study, about 2/3rds go online to review the result. That’s impressive. Theoretical focus group studies have shown that patients want to know (see: Now Reading: Patients want their radiology test results | Ted Eytan, MD). This experience shows that the studies aren’t theory.

Thanks to John Kaschko, MD, for providing this information and allowing me to share it.