In April 2021, a provision in the 21st Century Cures Act was implemented, requiring all medical test results to be released to a patient’s electronic medical record as soon as they become available. This has led to patients being able to access and read their test results even before their doctors have had a chance to review them. However, many medical reports are not written with patients in mind, making it difficult for them to understand the information presented. Cathryn Lapedis, M.D., M.P.H., from the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan Health, and her colleagues conducted a study to test whether people could understand standard pathology reports and if a patient-centered report might improve patient comprehension.
The study involved 2,238 adults aged 55 to 84 who had a prostate but no history of prostate cancer. Participants were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which they sought care for troubling urinary symptoms, underwent a biopsy, and would receive results from that test through their patient portal. They were shown one of three types of reports: a standard University report, a standard VA report, or a patient-centered pathology report. Participants were asked to identify their diagnosis, Gleason score (indicating the aggressiveness of prostate cancer), and their risk level. They were also asked to report their level of worry based on the results.
Results showed that most people were unable to obtain basic information from standard pathology reports, such as accurately identifying whether or not they had prostate cancer. Only 39% of participants reviewing the standard University report were able to accurately recognize that the report indicated cancer. In contrast, 93% of those who received the patient-centered pathology report correctly identified that they had prostate cancer. Additionally, participants’ level of worry was more closely aligned with their risk level when presented with the patient-centered report compared to the standard reports.
The findings of the study suggest that patient-centered pathology reports can significantly improve patient understanding of their test results. Lapedis recommended that hospital systems consider including patient-centered reports alongside standard reports to enhance patient comprehension. The research team plans to further investigate the use of patient-centered reports at the University of Michigan. Lapedis advised patients to discuss with their clinicians what specific terms to look for in their reports before undergoing tests to facilitate better understanding of their results.
In conclusion, the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act has allowed patients to access their medical test results quickly, sometimes before their doctors have reviewed them. However, many medical reports are not tailored for patient understanding. A study by Cathryn Lapedis and colleagues demonstrated that patient-centered pathology reports can significantly improve patient comprehension of test results, with 93% of participants accurately identifying their diagnosis when presented with a patient-centered report. The research suggests that including patient-centered reports alongside standard reports in hospital systems can enhance patient understanding and reduce worries related to test results. Patients are encouraged to proactively discuss what to look for in their test reports with their clinicians to improve their understanding of their medical outcomes.
