New Survey Data Shows Increasing Availability of Patient-Facing APIs and Early Uptake by Patients

Whether it be health information collected by wearable devices or lab test results in a patient portal, individuals can now access, share, and use electronic health data to manage their health needs. APIs make it possible for patients to use smartphone, tablet, and desktop apps to access their health information from certified electronic health record (EHR) systems. These briefs – Hospital Capabilities to Enable Patient Electronic Access to Health Information, 2019 and Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2020 – provide new insights into the adoption of secure, standards-based APIs by hospitals, and their subsequent use by patients via their smartphone health apps. In 2020, new survey data found that among individuals that used  a patient portal offered by their health care provider or insurer in the past year about 4 in 10 accessed their health information using a mobile health app. Educating patients about the benefits of having electronic access to their health records and the methods their health care providers offer to access this information could help increase the use of patient portals and health apps.