Clinical Scorecard: Patient Anxiety Over Immediate Access to Laboratory Test Results
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Patient anxiety and worry related to viewing laboratory test results through a patient portal before discussing them with a clinician.
Key Mechanisms
In a survey of patients who had viewed results, 28.0% reported some degree of worry or anxiety while awaiting results. Most reported reduced anxiety or no change after viewing results, while 4.6% reported increased anxiety. Abnormal results overall and sensitive results overall were not associated with increased anxiety; tests potentially diagnostic of cancer were associated with increased anxiety. Higher baseline anxiety was associated with increased anxiety after viewing results and with intending to wait for clinician discussion before viewing future results.
Target Population
13,898 unique survey respondents with verified laboratory-result viewing within the prior 45 days; median age 67 years, 57.5% female, and 38.8% with commercial insurance.
Care Setting
Survey conducted after outpatient encounters at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a single US academic medical center using immediate patient-portal result release. Anxiety and worry were assessed using ad hoc, nonvalidated survey questions; electronic health record metadata verified result viewing and provided result counts and categories.
Key Highlights
Among respondents, 28.0% reported some degree of worry or anxiety while awaiting results.
Most respondents reported reduced anxiety or no change after viewing results; 4.6% reported increased anxiety.
Abnormal results overall and sensitive results overall were not associated with increased anxiety; tests potentially diagnostic of cancer were associated with increased anxiety.
Higher baseline anxiety was associated with increased anxiety after viewing results and with intending to wait for clinician discussion before viewing future results.
Overall, 88.3% intended to review future results immediately; 79.5% of respondents reporting increased anxiety still intended to do so.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Study methods: Anxiety and worry were assessed using ad hoc, nonvalidated survey questions.
Study methods: Investigators verified result viewing using electronic health record metadata and extracted result counts and categories.
Management
The authors state that patients experiencing anxiety about test results should be recognized and supported before and during result release.
The authors describe balancing transparency with individualized support for vulnerable patients as a challenge in the era of immediate result access.
Monitoring & Follow-up
The study assessed anxiety while awaiting results, changes in anxiety after viewing results, and intentions for viewing future results.
Risks
The authors cite prior literature suggesting that receiving abnormal or sensitive results without a clinician present may provoke worry or anxiety.
The authors cite prior literature suggesting anxiety may increase the risk of poor decision-making and lead to additional messages or appointments.
Study limitations included nonvalidated anxiety measures, baseline anxiety assessed after results were viewed, respondent self-selection, and sampling from one largely insured academic medical center.
Patient & Prescribing Data
13,898 unique survey respondents with verified result viewing within the prior 45 days; median age 67 years, 57.5% female, and 38.8% with commercial insurance.
No treatment was evaluated. Future result-viewing intentions: 88.3% intended to view results immediately, 5.6% intended to wait for clinician discussion, and 6.1% were uncertain.
Clinical Best Practices
The authors state that patients experiencing anxiety about test results should be recognized and supported before and during their release.
Study finding: Higher baseline anxiety was associated with increased anxiety after result viewing.
The authors describe individualized support alongside transparency as a challenge for patient-portal result release.
Related Resources & Content
Suresh U, Steitz BD, Carlson B, et al. Patient anxiety about immediately released laboratory test results. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(10):e2640246. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.40246.
