background Dutch patients will be granted the right to digitally access their own medical records, an option already available to the patients at the University Medical Center Utrecht since 2015.
aim To start a conversation about the development of readily accessible online patient records. methods Describe the experiences of a University department of psychiatry with an online patient portal, obtained through discussions and questionnaires.
results During the next few years three legal developments will enable patients to acquire direct, remote, digital access to their medical files. Immediate online review of medical records improves accessibility and empowers the patient. Some therapists experienced a change in patient interaction. Furthermore, during documentation psychiatrists took into account that patients could review the contents at a later point.
conclusion Patients’ accessibility of online records will influence the patient-therapist dynamic. More research on the patient perspective and a discussion among professionals are necessary to further streamline broad implementation of online patient portals.