Coulter A, Richards T, Giles C, Walker S. Patients need access to their medical records—now BMJ 2024; 386 :q1385
Real-time access to electronic health records empowers patients, especially those with chronic conditions, to manage their health effectively. Despite initial professional resistance and policy delays, countries like Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, and the US have demonstrated that the benefits of full record access outweigh the risks. Patients globally are calling for interactive, user-friendly portals to access and correct their medical records, emphasizing that this is crucial for self-care, particularly in the post-pandemic era where healthcare access has declined. Read full article.
