Allowing patients to provide electronic feedback on their medication lists can improve the accuracy of their electronic health records, according to a study published in eGEMs, FierceEMR reports.

Details of Study

For the study, researchers reviewed a Geisinger Health System initiative that permits patients to view their medication lists before visiting the doctor and provide feedback if there are inaccuracies. Pharmacists followed up with patients that requested changes before finalizing the requests (Durben Hirsch, FierceEMR, 10/6). Of 457 completed forms, 414 were included in the analysis (eGEMs, 10/1).

Findings

The researchers found patients generally were "eager" to offer feedback on their EHRs.

Of those who submitted forms, 89% requested changes, including:

• Changing a type of drug;
• Revealing a potential overdose; or
• Updating dosage frequency (FierceEMR, 10/6).

The study found that patients provided accurate and useful information about their medications. Specifically, pharmacists said patient feedback was accepted in 80% of the cases and resulted in record changes. The pharmacists also noted that it took about 2.5 minutes per form to process the feedback.

Based on a subsample of 107 forms, the researchers found that pharmacists responded positively to patients' feedback.

The researchers noted that feedback opportunities also enhance patient engagement, as they are prompted to thoroughly review their own records (eGEMs, 10/1).

According to the researchers, the results suggest that patient feedback also could help providers comply with HIPAA regulations on EHR access and amendments.

The report states, "[P]atients can be effectively engaged online to improve the accuracy of the information stored in their EHRs. They also provide valuable insights into effective strategies for gathering and processing patient feedback, and showcase the opportunity for EHRs to assist in maintaining accurate and complete medical records" (FierceEMR, 10/6).