By Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH I support the fundamental tenets of OpenNotes and hope that all patients will have access to their notes within the next few years. To me the great overall value — both ethically and in terms of better health outcomes — of OpenNotes is a no-brainer. Read the full blog post…
OpenNotes in the Media
ePatient Dave: Let Patients Help
Congratulations to e-Patient Dave for the publication of his new book, Let Patients Help! This “patient engagement” handbook is written for doctors, nurses, patients, and caregivers and provides concise reasons, tips & methods for making patient engagement effective. To learn more about Let Patients Help or order a prerelease copy please click here.
JMIR: Patient Experiences With Full Electronic Access to Health Records and Clinical Notes
A recent publication by Sue Woods, MD and colleagues in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, investigated VA patient experiences with full electronic access to health records, including clinical notes. Patients overwhelmingly felt that having more, rather than less, of their health record information provided significant benefits. As one participating patient described: I can…
Wise Patient: Open Medical Notes
By Sam Warren, March 17, 2013 How many of you, outside of my own patients, regularly read your doctor’s Assessment and Plan? My guess is 20%, tops, and that is the problem. The traditional audience for the A&P is anther physician – the same doctor next appointment, the sub-specialist, or the ER doctor on staff…
HFMA: Meaningful Health Information Exchange
By Lola Butcher, March 6, 2013 Health information exchange means different things to different stakeholders. To a solo practitioner in Pasadena, Calif., it means having ready access to information about the treatment her patients have received in the local hospital and from other physicians—even though she does not have an electronic health record (EHR). …
RWJF Year in Research
RWJF Year in Research: An Interview with Thomas L. Delbanco Voted No. 2 Most Influential Research Article of 2012, Thomas Delbanco and Janice Walker co-direct OpenNotes, a project that tests the radical yet simple idea that physicians’ notes should be for the patient, not just about the patient. What was the inspiration for this study—the…
e-Patient Dave on PBS: “My Health Counts”
Listen to the e-patient stories of Dave deBronkart, Lygeia Ricciardi (official consumer e-health guru at HHS) and Buffalo resident Tom Dixon on PBS, hosted by Susan Hunt. Check out the video here.
Health Affairs Blog: Not In My Name: Real Patient-Centeredness Means Sharing Power
By Michael Millenson, February 26, 2013 The OpenNotes initiative declares quite simply that every notation the doctor makes during the patient’s visit can not only be seen by the patient, but commented upon. As the president of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston put it, “Everything that we have and know about you as…
Health IT.gov Clinical Documentation Hearing: Testimony from an OpenNotes Patient
Candice Wolk, a patient in the OpenNotes study, presented testimony at the Clinical Documentation Hearing held in Washington, DC. Candice shared her personal story of how OpenNotes equipped her to be her own health-care advocate. Read Candice’s testimony below: Dear Health IT Policy Committee members, My name is Candice Wolk. I am humbled by…
How Nurses Can Empower Patients Through Shared Notes
By Jan Walker & Suzanne Leveille of OpenNotes, January 2nd, 2012 As nurses, we’ve always been focused on the patient. Teaching patients about their health and advocating for patients are both incredibly important parts of the job. That’s why we got involved with OpenNotes-an initiative that invites patients to review the visit notes written by their…
