It also suggests why so many Americans are turning to the Internet to get information on health care. The group is using the survey to press for better access for consumers who are seeking their medical records and other information.

"While access to online health information and medical records plays an important role in bringing clarity to one's understanding of their health, members of medically underserved communities face additional barriers to accessing and utilizing their online health information," said Lisa K. Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA, and founder and CEO of Grapevine Health. "It's critical that Americans are able to retrieve their medical information to get a whole picture of their health for more positive outcomes."

Visits that don't answer questions

One of the more significant findings of the survey is that 75% of respondents said they didn't leave their provider's office on a positive note, for reasons that can include not having their questions answered and feeling they need to do more research.

"This lack of understanding is shared by most Americans, with nearly 2 in 3 respondents admitting they are not extremely confident in their understanding of the health information they discuss with their doctor," the group said in a statement.

The problem is magnified with those who give care to family members. The report noted that 43% of Americans have caregiving roles, with 91% of that group playing an active role in managing a loved one's health. Almost one-third (31%) of caregivers say they don't feel they have easy access to the health information of the loved one they are caring for.

Some groups more likely to feel disconnected

The survey also found a disconnect between different groups of Americans—some are clearly not feeling as well-informed as they'd like to be. This includes younger people, who are more likely than older patients to leave a doctor's appointment feeling as though they didn't get needed information.

For example, the percentage of consumers who feel they left a health care appointment without getting clear answers to their questions grows higher with younger patients, the survey found. Baby boomers (16%) and Gen X'ers (23%) were less likely to feel their questions were unanswered, while Gen Y/Millennials (31%) and Gen Z (33%) were significantly more likely to feel their questions were unanswered.

Not surprisingly, younger consumers reported being more likely to turn to online platforms to access medical records—although not universally: Boomers were at 78%, Gen X at 88%, Millennials at 86%, and Gen Z at 76%.

Educational, income-related, and ethnic disparities were also found in the survey: for example, lower-income earners were more likely than those with higher incomes to say they struggle with understanding medical information given by providers.

AHIMA officials used the survey to press for better access to online medical records. They also noted the launch of a new health literacy website, healthinfoexplained.com.

"We know based on these results that a majority of Americans aren't fully grasping information discussed with their health care provider, leading many patients and caregivers to turn to the internet to take their health management into their own hands" said Anisa Tootla, executive director of the AHIMA Foundation. "But many—especially members of medically underserved communities—are lacking a key piece of the health management equation: access to and an understanding of their personal medical information and online records. AHIMA Foundation is working to help change that."

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