Keywords: Patient participation, electronic health records, informed decision-making, patient empowerment
 

"Understanding Patient Perspectives Online Access to Medical Records"

Since 2020, patients in the Netherlands have been granted legal rights to electronically access their medical records at the primary care level, which is primarily facilitated through online access. This online access enables patients to view diagnoses and treatment advice, test results, medication lists, and allergies. Having full and all-time access to their medical data creates the opportunity for patients to participate more actively in their own healthcare and become more involved in medical decisions. The research in this dissertation explored patients’ needs in regard to online access and monitored the effects of online access for patients alongside the policy implementation. Findings indicate a need to improve accessibility and comprehensibility of information in medical records and emphasize the importance of maintaining non-digital access options. Implementing the recommendations from this dissertation can enhance the current limited benefits of online access.

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