Receiving Pediatric Access to Electronic Health Information: Stories from Adolescents and Parents
Pediatric Access to Electronic Health Information: Stories from Adolescents and Parents
Web-based patient portals have become the standard in US healthcare. The stories in this issue of NIB collectively highlight the benefits, complexities, and challenges surrounding access to Electronic Health Information (EHI) for adolescents and their parents. Many of the stories describe tensions between protecting adolescents’ privacy and ensuring parents and guardians have the information they need to support their children’s health. Some of the stories highlight the negative consequences of limiting parental access, while others discuss the need to respect teenagers’ growing autonomy.
"These narratives can help clinicians, informatics leaders, electronic health records vendors, and policymakers to better understand the lived experiences of adolescents and parents navigating healthcare. Additionally, the narratives provide validation and meaningful insights to families who are experiencing barriers to accessing EHI through the adolescent portal."