Docs Don't Want Lab Results Going to Patients

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued proposed rules that will allow patients to electronically access their test results directly from labs, a move that has drawn criticism among physicians who balk at the idea. They worry that unintended consequences may arise when patients read lab results before their doctors provide a proper interpretation.

Monday's announcement that the proposed rules will grant patients or their personal representatives the ability to access lab results over the Internet came at the kick-off of the first-ever HHS Consumer Health IT Summit, held at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. The summit brought consumers, providers, and the public and private sectors together to discuss measures that can best empower consumers through health IT to be partners in monitoring and making decisions about their care...