A new study published in DIGITAL HEALTH explores which information patients consider especially sensitive in their electronic health records.
The study is based on survey responses from 4,459 users of the Finnish national patient portal My Kanta. Mental health information was by far the most commonly mentioned type of sensitive information. Patients who had received mental health care were also considerably more likely to report that some health information was especially sensitive compared with patients who had received other types of care.
An important finding was that sensitivity was not only about the type of information. Patients also described how sensitivity depends on context, including who can access the information, how it might be used, and whether it could have consequences for future care, employment, insurance, or how they are treated by others.
The findings highlight the importance of careful documentation and thoughtful design of patient portals. The authors suggest that patients could be given greater possibilities to limit access to certain information or mark information as particularly sensitive. They also emphasize the importance of involving patients and health care professionals when designing patient accessible health records.
The study was conducted by Saija Simola, Sari Kujala, Anna Kharko, Josefin Hagström, Charlotte Blease, Åsa Cajander, Rose Mharie Åhlfeldt, Bo Wang, Bridget Kane, and Maria Hägglund.
You find the paper here: https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2068551/FULLTEXT01.pdf