"Providing patients time to review, research and process their own test results might allow them to prepare for subsequent discussions with their health care practitioners and may lead to better shared decision-making."

Authors' comments regarding a survey of 8,000 patients who accessed their test results via an online patient portal account found that 96 percent of patients preferred receiving immediately released test results online. Results from the study, published in JAMA Network Open, also suggest there may be "benefits to receiving abnormal results online, such as allowing patients to choose where and with whom to view such results."