The patient access provision of the 21st Century Cures Act is a section of the law that requires healthcare providers and health plans to provide patients with easy access to their own medical records, including lab results, imaging reports, and other clinical notes. The provision also enables the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow patients to access their healthcare information using third-party apps.

Here are some ways that the patient access provision of the 21st Century Cures Act helps consumers better manage their healthcare decision-making:

1. Access to Personal Health Information: By providing patients with access to their medical records, the patient access provision enables patients to take control of their own health information. This allows them to better manage their healthcare decision-making by having a more comprehensive understanding of their own health status, test results, and treatment options.
2. Better Communication with Healthcare Providers: With access to their medical records, patients can better communicate with their healthcare providers. This can help patients to ask more informed questions and make more informed decisions about their health.
3. Improved Coordination of Care: With access to their medical records, patients can share their health information with multiple healthcare providers, improving the coordination of care. This is particularly important for patients with complex medical conditions who may see multiple healthcare providers.
4. Facilitation of Second Opinions: Patients who have access to their medical records can more easily seek second opinions from other healthcare providers. This can help patients to make more informed decisions about their healthcare options.
5. Transparency in Healthcare Decision-Making: The patient access provision promotes transparency in healthcare decision-making by giving patients access to their medical records. This can help to build trust between patients and healthcare providers and increase transparency in healthcare decision-making.

Overall, the patient access provision of the 21st Century Cures Act enables patients to better manage their healthcare decision-making by giving them access to their own medical records, improving communication with healthcare providers, improving the coordination of care, facilitating second opinions, and promoting transparency in healthcare decision-making.