As the OpenNotes movement continues to grow, a broad variety of journalists, patients and health care professionals are taking note. Even better, they’re sharing the facts, data, opinions and experiences of those sharing medical notes. See what the buzz is all about.
About a year and a half ago, longtime BIDMC patient Stacey Whiteman received shocking news from her physician. “I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in my brain and in my spine,” she said. “Cognitively I am challenged. I can’t multitask anymore. I may look okay on the outside but on the inside, it is challenging, to…
Healthcare providers who are tracking patient experience and patient satisfaction, take note: a new study reported yesterday in Science Daily provides evidence that we patients really like it when we can view the data you collected about us. Even us over-50 ones, who are widely believed to be technologically not up to the task. (Fans of patient autonomy, like…
When a medical error leads to patient harm, it’s hard to argue that no one is more upset than the patient’s family. However, it’s often overlooked that the doctors or nurses who caused that error also may be devastated. “One of the most difficult experiences for any doctor or nurse is when they realize that…
U.S. health care providers have 10 million newly insured patients to serve this year. That’s 10 million customers they don’t know much about, which makes innovation all the more important. We’re already experiencing a first, technology-driven wave of transformation — electronic health records, mobile phones, sensors, and telemedicine robots are making care more effective and…
ABSTRACT Background: Inviting patients to read their primary care visit notes may improve communication and help them engage more actively in their health care. Little is known about how patients will use the opportunity to share their visit notes with family members or caregivers, or what the benefits might be. Objective: Our goal was to…
Remember memos? As late as the 1990s, businesspeople would type, print and copy a formal memorandum onto a sheet of pre-printed letterhead to be delivered the next day. But those days before email are ancient history, right? Perhaps not, if you work in healthcare. Despite fueling nearly 18% of our nation’s advanced economy, the healthcare…
MANY readers were shocked by my recent article about Peter Drier, who received a surprise bill of $117,000 from an out-of-network assistant surgeon who helped out during his back operation. But almost as surprising was how difficult it was during my reporting for Mr. Drier to extract his own records from the hospital. He wanted…
On November 4, Group Health launched OpenNotes at its 25 medical centers—giving all patients who use MyGroupHealth ready access to the notes their providers write after an in-person visit. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) already grants patients the right to review their entire medical record—including providers’ notes. But with OpenNotes, the…
