Enhancing uploads of health data in the electronic health record—The role of framing and length of privacy information: A survey study in Germany

Abstract

Background: The German electronic health record (EHR) aims to enhance patient care and reduce costs, but users often worry about data security. In this article, we propose and test communication strategies to mitigate privacy concerns and increase EHR uploads. Objective: We explore whether presenting a privacy fact sheet (PFS) before interacting with the EHR increases users’ willingness to upload medical reports. Our study examines the effects of PFS framing and length on this decision. Methods: In an online user study with 227 German participants, we used a realistic EHR click dummy and varied the PFS in terms of length (short vs. long) and framing (EHR-centered vs. patient-centered). Results: The results show that a PFS has a positive effect on uploading (OR 4.276, P=.015). Although there was no effect regarding the length of a PFS, a patient-centered framing increased uploads compared to an EHR-centered framing (OR 4.043, Conclusion: Displaying PFSs at the beginning of an upload process is a cost-effective intervention to boost EHR adoption and increase diagnoses uploads. Specifically, the effectiveness of the PFS depends more on how information is framed rather than its length. Willingness to upload medical data is key to EHR success and its benefits, like better treatment and lower costs.