Source

Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) (2017-2018, 2020, 2022, 2024).

Citation

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. ‘Gaps in Individuals’ Information Exchange’ Health IT Quick Stat #56. https://www.healthit.gov/data/quickstats/gaps-individuals-information-exchange. August 2025.

Most individuals—87% in 2024—report having at least one health care visit in the past year. Despite advances in interoperability and the implementation of anti-information blocking provisions, many of these patients continue to experience gaps in information exchange that require them to wait on test results, redo tests or procedures, or bring information from their own records. In 2024, about 1 in 5 individuals who went to the doctor in the past year reported they had to wait for test results longer than they thought reasonable—a notable increase from 2020. This may be explained by shifting expectations post-COVID (during which patients demanded results more urgently) and due to HHS Information Blocking policy that enables quicker access to test results. A similar share of individuals—about 1 in 5—in the years 2017-2022 reported they had to bring prior test results to an appointment. While relatively few individuals had to redo a test or procedure because results were missing or had to provide their medical history because their chart could not be found, rates have not improved over the last few years which points to persistent gaps in information needed to inform patient care and follow-up. 

This figure contains a temporal line chart showing gaps in individuals’ information exchange across the years 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. A line representing the share of individuals who reported they had to “Redo a test or procedure because the earlier results were not available” shows a change from 7 percent in 2017, to 5 percent in 2018, 6 percent in 2020, up to 10 percent in 2024. This question was not asked in 2022. Another line shows that the share of individuals who reported they had to “Provide your medical history again because your chart could not be found” changed from 7 percent in 2017, to 5 percent in 2018, and 6 percent in 2020. The question was not asked in 2022 or 2024. The line representing the share of individuals who reported they had to “Wait for results longer than you thought reasonable” shows a change from 14 percent in 2017 and 2018, to 12 percent in 2020, up to 20 percent in 2024. The question was not asked in 2022. The final line shows that the share of individuals who reported they had to “Bring a test result to an appointment (X-ray, MRI, etc.)” changed from 19 percent in 2017 and 2018 to 21 percent in 2020 and 2022. The question was not asked in 2024.  

 

2017

2018

2020

2022

2024

Bring a test result to an appointment (X-ray, MRI, etc.)

19%

19%

21%

21%

#N/A

Wait for results longer than you thought reasonable

14%

14%

12%

#N/A

20%

Provide your medical history again because your chart could not be found

7%

5%

6%

#N/A

#N/A

Redo a test or procedure because the earlier results were not available

7%

5%

6%

#N/A

10%

Note: "N/A" values indicate question was not asked in the survey year.

Denominator represents individuals who went to a health care provider at least once within the past year; weighted estimates. Measures of gaps in individuals’ information exchange come from the HINTS survey question: “In the past 12 months, when getting care for a medical problem, was there a time when you… A. Had to bring an X-ray, MRI, or other type of test results with you to the appointment? B. Had to wait for test results longer than you thought reasonable? C. Had to redo a test or procedure because the earlier test results were not available? D. Had to provider your medical history again because your chart could not be found?”

All methodology reports and copies of the HINTS for all years can be access through the official HINTS site: https://hints.cancer.gov/data/methodology-reports.aspx.