Survey: Patients Want Online Access to Medical Images, Reports

The overwhelming majority of patients would like to have internet-based access to their medical images and reports to share with other physicians, and to provide a more convenient way for them to access and store their records and their children's records, according to a study conducted by IDR Medical, an international healthcare marketing company.

Of the 1,000 adults surveyed, 85 percent said they would like to view their medical images through an online patient portal. Traditionally, medical imaging studies and reports have been output to CD/DVDs, film or paper for patient use.

Providing patients with secure and easy access to their imaging results also impacts both satisfaction and an overall return rate: 79 percent of patients felt that if they had access to their images they would be more likely to return to that same facility and 76 percent indicated they would recommend the imaging facility to a friend.

And while age often is perceived as a hurdle to technology adoption, the survey demonstrates that only the oldest age group (71+) showed less enthusiasm to use the portal—but even in this age group 59.5 percent of respondents were very likely to use the portal solution.