March 18, 2022 — Patient-centric medical image sharing platform PocketHealth announced the launch of Report Reader. Available for all PocketHealth patients, Report Reader allows patients to tap or click on anatomical or medical terms common within most medical imaging reports and view term meaning in easily understandable language, all from within the PocketHealth platform.
Nearly one-third of Americans struggle to access and understand crucial health information in their health records, often contributing to anxiety and overwhelm. In Canada, many adults struggle with digital health literacy, preventing them from clearly understanding and acting upon their health information and making informed health decisions. Although hospitals and health systems have made strides in making written medical records and reports more accessible and lay-friendly, the patient experience for obtaining and understanding medical imaging records has lagged.
With more than 300 medical terms at launch, Report Reader demystifies and de-intimidates potentially distressing or anxiety-producing medical terminology like “unremarkable,” “bilateral,” “percutaneous,” or “neoplasm,” empowering patients to become more informed and confident advocates in their care journeys.
“Medical terminology is designed for clinicians, not for patients,” said Dr. Marc Ossip, Chief of Radiology and Medical Director, William Osler Health Services at William Osler Health System. “Innovations like PocketHealth Report Reader make the medical records release journey more patient-friendly, meeting patients where they are in their healthcare education journey.”
Report Reader builds on PocketHealth’s patient-led image sharing technology, which liberates medical images from once gated systems, putting diagnostic quality images in the hands of patients whenever and wherever they need them. By giving healthcare workers the necessary infrastructure to easily send and receive imaging records, PocketHealth also removes otherwise time-consuming administrative work for healthcare providers.
“If patients aren’t able to read and understand their medical records at home, it can feel overwhelming and lead to emotional distress,” said Rishi Nayyar, CEO & Co-Founder of PocketHealth. “We’re taking that burden off of patients and providing them with easy-to-understand language so they are able to communicate results with their loved ones while feeling confident about the next steps in their care journey.”
PocketHealth’s easy-to-use technology is trusted by over 500 hospitals, clinics, and imaging facilities across North America and gives close to 600,000 patients access to safely store and share their medical images and records anywhere, anytime from any device.
For more information: www.pockethealth.com