Patients Are Finding Errors in Their Medical Records, and Want AI to Fix Them

July 29, 2024 ‐ HealthLeaders Media

By Eric Wicklund

Some 45% of consumers in a new survey say they’ve found inaccuracies in their medical records, and many feel that AI can be used to correct them.

The survey of more than 1,000 consumers, conducted by Propeller Insights for healthcare tech company Carta Healthcare earlier this month, finds an American public intrigued by the potential of AI, but also wary of its effects. For while 60% feel that the technology can improve the accuracy of medical records, more than half have concerns about security and more than 40% worry about accuracy.

“The integration of AI in healthcare record management shows promise, though trust issues need to be addressed,” company co-founder Matt Hollingsworth said in a press release. “As the healthcare industry continues to digitize, ensuring the accessibility and accuracy of medical records and addressing public concerns about AI integration will be paramount to improving patient care and trust in the system.”

Back-end functions like data entry and processing have been the low-hanging fruit for AI in healthcare, with numerous hospitals and health systems using the technology to relieve doctors and nurses of those administrative tasks. But a savvier consumer population is keeping an eye on how that technology works.

That may be because younger generations, who are growing up with AI, are paying more attention to their medical records than their parents and grandparents.

Indeed, according to the survey, almost 61% of Gen Z and 52% of Millennials have had to correct a mistake in their records, compared to only 32.5% of older generations. All of the generations blame human error for those mistakes, with the Baby Boomers, at 60%, being the most critical. And at 84%, they also have the highest confidence that AI can help with the accuracy of healthcare data.

Accessibility, on the other hand, is not a big issue. Among those surveyed, 83% feel their medical records are accessible when needed, 74% know how to get to them, and 76% know how to request them from providers or payers.

And while they are finding errors, 86% believe their records are accurate and 67% say they don’t believe those errors have affected their current treatment. The errors, they report, are most often in personal information (33%), allergies or aversions (23%), and treatment history (22%).

According to the survey, 46% use e-mail to ask for their records, while 37% now do that through online portals. That said, only 28% of those surveyed have had to ask for their medical records.

Finally, 73% of those surveyed say the healthcare industry has the processes in place to ensure data accuracy, and 72% should play a part in ensuring the accuracy of their healthcare data through AI tools.

The survey should help healthcare executives to understand that while AI holds promise to address some of the industry’s biggest pain points, they should take care to ensure that the technology is monitored for accuracy. And because their patients and others are becoming increasingly knowledgeable around the use of AI, they can also use this as a marketing tool.

Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.

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