A Nordic Perspective on Patient Online Record Access and the European Health Data Space.

The Nordic countries are, together with the United States, forerunners in online record access (ORA), which has now become widespread. The importance of accessible and structured health data has also been highlighted by policy makers internationally. To ensure the full realization of ORA's potential in the short and long term, there is a pressing need to study ORA from a cross-disciplinary, clinical, humanistic, and social sciences perspective that looks beyond strictly technical aspects.

Users' Experiences With Online Access to Electronic Health Records in Mental and Somatic Health Care: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) hold promise for empowering patients, but their impact may vary between mental and somatic health care. Medical professionals and ethicists have expressed concerns about the potential challenges of PAEHRs for patients, especially those receiving mental health care.

Objective: This study aims to investigate variations in the experiences of online access to electronic health records (EHRs) among persons receiving mental and somatic health care, as well as to understand how these experiences and perceptions vary among those receiving mental health care at different levels of point of care.

The NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey: Cross-Sectional Study of National Patient Portal Users in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

Background: Although many surveys have been conducted on patients accessing their own health records in recent years, there is a limited amount of nationwide cross-country data available on patients' views and preferences. To address this gap, an international survey of patient users was conducted in the Nordic eHealth project, NORDeHEALTH.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics and experiences of patients who accessed their electronic health records (EHRs) through national patient portals in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

Errors, Omissions, and Offenses in the Health Record of Mental Health Care Patients: Results from a Nationwide Survey in Sweden.

Background: Previous research reports that patients with mental health conditions experience benefits, for example, increased empowerment and validation, from reading their patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs). In mental health care (MHC), PAEHRs remain controversial, as health care professionals are concerned that patients may feel worried or offended by the content of the notes. Moreover, existing research has focused on specific mental health diagnoses, excluding the larger PAEHR userbase with experience in MHC.

Patients' Experiences of a National Patient Portal and Its Usability: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: Patient portals not only provide patients with access to electronic health records (EHRs) and other digital health services, such as prescription renewals, but they can also improve patients' self-management, engagement with health care professionals (HCPs), and care processes. However, these benefits depend on patients' willingness to use patient portals and, ultimately, their experiences with the usefulness and ease of use of the portals.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the perceived usability of a national patient portal and the relationship of patients' very positive and very negative experiences with perceived usability.

Patients' Experiences of Web-Based Access to Electronic Health Records in Finland: Cross-sectional Survey.

Background: Patient portals that provide access to electronic health records offer a means for patients to better understand and self-manage their health. Yet, patient access to electronic health records raises many concerns among physicians, and little is known about the use practices and experiences of patients who access their electronic health records via a mature patient portal that has been available for citizens for over five years.

Objective: We aimed to identify patients' experiences using a national patient portal to access their electronic health records.

Patient Use and Experience With Online Access to Electronic Health Records in Norway: Results From an Online Survey.

Background: The electronic health record (EHR) has been fully established in all Norwegian hospitals. Patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) are available to citizens aged 16 years and older through the national health portal Helsenorge.

Objective: This study aimed at understanding how patients use PAEHRs.

Factors Determining the Success and Failure of eHealth Interventions: Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: eHealth has an enormous potential to improve healthcare cost, effectiveness, and quality of care. However, there seems to be a gap between the foreseen benefits of research and clinical reality.

Objective: Our objective was to systematically review the factors influencing the outcome of eHealth interventions in terms of success and failure.

Secretaries' role in EHR Documentation and the Implications of Establishing a Structured EHR System.

Secretaries play an important quality assurance role in today's medical record production. This study aimed to identify quality assurance tasks that a future system cannot easily compensate for when developing a new structured EHR in which the physicians do the writing themselves. The study identified two tasks, which we suggest should also be performed by secretaries in the future.

Electronic symptom reporting between patient and provider for improved health care service quality: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. part 2: methodological quality and effects.

Background: We conducted in two parts a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on electronic symptom reporting between patients and providers to improve health care service quality. Part 1 reviewed the typology of patient groups, health service innovations, and research targets. Four innovation categories were identified: consultation support, monitoring with clinician support, self-management with clinician support, and therapy.

Electronic symptom reporting between patient and provider for improved health care service quality: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. part 1: state of the art.

Background: Over the last two decades, the number of studies on electronic symptom reporting has increased greatly. However, the field is very heterogeneous: the choices of patient groups, health service innovations, and research targets seem to involve a broad range of foci. To move the field forward, it is necessary to build on work that has been done and direct further research to the areas holding most promise.

Symptoms from patients as the primary information source for real-time surveillance.

The aim of this study was to identify whether patients could become the primary data source for symptom based real-time surveillance. The study investigated people's attitude towards providing symptom information electronically before a consultation, and how they preferred to carry out the reporting. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to 83 respondents.

Authentication and encryption in the Snow disease surveillance network.

The paper presents how authentication and encryption is implemented in the Snow disease surveillance network. Requirements for the authentication mechanism were collected from General Practitioners (GPs). The identity of each Snow user is preserved across health institutions allowing GPs to move freely between health institutions and use the system independent of location.

The potential of digital monochrome images versus colour slides in telescreening for diabetic retinopathy.

We explored the potential of digital monochrome images as an alternative to colour slides in screening for diabetic retinopathy. Twenty-eight patients with diabetes were recruited for the study and 20 actually participated. Using a fundus camera (Nikon 505AF) one set of three digital images and one set of three colour slides were taken per eye.

A feasibility study of email communication between the patient's family and the specialist burns team.

We investigated whether the parents of burns patients could capture suitable clinical images with a digital camera and add the necessary text information to enable the paediatric burns team to provide follow-up care via email. Four families were involved in the study, each of whom sent regular email consultations for six months. The results were very encouraging.

Telemedicine screening for diabetic retinopathy: staff and patient satisfaction.

In a pilot project, telemedicine was used to conduct retinal examinations of diabetic patients in the Alta municipality of Norway. All health-care workers who were involved in the project were interviewed. The ophthalmologists found that the grading of the level of retinopathy was quicker with digital images than with slit-lamp examinations.