Assess anxiety while awaiting test results, changes in anxiety after viewing results, and preferences for viewing future results.
Approach:
Design and setting: Cross-sectional survey at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, using an electronic patient experience questionnaire distributed after encounters from September to November 2025.
Participants and measures: Analysis included 13,898 unique respondents with electronic health record confirmation that they had viewed test results within the prior 45 days. Survey responses were linked to result counts and characteristics, including abnormality and sensitive-test categ…
Analysis: Multivariate logistic regression assessed associations with anxiety and future result-viewing intentions.
Key Findings:
Of 46,000 completed surveys, 13,898 respondents met inclusion criteria; 28.0% reported some degree of worry or anxiety while awaiting results.
Most respondents reported reduced or unchanged anxiety after viewing results; 4.6% reported increased anxiety.
Higher baseline anxiety was associated with increased anxiety after viewing results (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.89-2.16). Overall abnormal results and sensitive results were not associated with increased anxiety; tests potentially diagnostic of cancer were (OR, 1.55;…
Most respondents (88.3%) intended to view future results immediately. Greater baseline anxiety and increased anxiety after viewing were associated with intending to wait for clinician discussion.
Among respondents reporting increased anxiety, 79.5% still intended to view future results immediately.
Interpretation:
In this survey, most respondents reported reduced or unchanged anxiety after viewing results and intended to view future results immediately. Increased anxiety was associated with higher baseline anxiety and with tests potentially diagnostic of cancer, but not with abnormal results overall.
Limitations:
Anxiety measures were not validated, and baseline anxiety was assessed only after participants had viewed results.
Survey participation was self-selected, and the study came from one academic medical center with a largely insured population.
Public opinion research is vulnerable to error that is not measured.
Conclusion:
The authors state that patients experiencing anxiety about test results should be recognized and supported before and during result release. They describe balancing transparency with individualized support as an ongoing challenge.
