A new national consumer survey reveals nearly two-thirds of Americans have never checked their medical records for errors, even though the majority of them say it’s easy to do.
Studies estimate up to 70 percent of health records contain errors or inaccurate patient information. These errors can lead to wrong prescriptions, expensive diagnostic tests or worse - a misdiagnosis of a disease.
The national survey was conducted by the HIPAA-compliant mobile health platform, DrOwl - a free medical platform that allows consumers to download all of their medical records into one place.
DrOwl initiated the survey to better understand what Americans actually know about their health data and how they feel about medical jargon that is frequently used on medical records. More than two-thirds of patients said they didn’t understand what their physician after their visit.
The online survey involved 1000 adults across the US of which 59 percent were women and 41 percent were men. 56 percent of respondents were 35 years old or older.
The CEO of DrOwl, Arvind Raichur, said this survey suggests most consumers aren’t taking their health records seriously.
“We watch our credit scores closely because we know it will impact our ability to make a large purchase. How much more valuable is your health,” said Raichur. “Mistakes happen especially in a fast-paced environment like the emergency room and our quick visits with the physician. It’s important to make sure your records are accurate and it’s very easy to do.”
Who Owns Your Medical Records?
Congress enacted a section of the “Cures Act” last year that gives all patients access to their digital health records for free. Up until that point, it was extremely difficult for patients to acquire or review their health records from hospitals or doctors offices.
Despite the new law, only 17 percent of those surveyed correctly answered that they own their medical records. Roughly 20 percent wrongly believed their doctor owned their medical records; 14 percent said their insurance company owned their records; and 19 percent had no idea who owned their records.
The consumer survey found 40 percent of respondents said they had reviewed their medical records. 42 percent of respondents said they didn’t know they should check their medical records, while 17 percent said they trusted their doctor to keep their records accurate.
Patients are Confused with Medical Jargon and Physician Communication
The survey also asked consumers if they understand the medical language or jargon that their doctor uses.
More than half, 52 percent, answered they “somewhat understand what their doctor shares,” while 12 percent said they “rarely understand what my doctor shares” and 4 percent “never understand what their doctor shares.” As a result, 1 in 3 patients or 66 percent of respondents said they felt somewhat confused or unsure with the information their doctor shared.
DrOwl contains a personal health search engine that helps people understand their specific conditions as well as the medications they are taking. Using AI and machine learning, the platform translates medical jargon and codes from the patient’s medical records into easy-to-understand language.
For example, patients might be confused when they hear “Hypothyroidism” or medical code “Nos (E03.9)”, but it actually is translated into an underactive thyroid that doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones for the body. If this code appears in a patient’s medical records, DrOwl will also provide curated medical information for patients with this condition from authoritative medical sources.
“If you want to learn more about your specific condition, or better understand what your physician is writing down, DrOwl makes it easy to become more empowered with your health. There is nothing more important than that,” said Raichur.
Consumers can download DrOwl for free on iOS or Google Play.
