by Roni Caryn Rabin In an old “Seinfeld” episode, Elaine goes to see a dermatologist about a rash, and is left sitting on the table in the exam room, alone with her medical chart. She opens the folder and almost immediately makes a sour face. “ ‘Difficult’?” she says, reading aloud. Let’s face it: We’ve all…
OpenNotes in the Media
NPR’s Talk of the Nation: Should Patients See Their Doctors’ Notes?
More than 90 percent of patients in one survey said they’d want to know what doctors write in their charts. The majority of doctors, though, are reluctant to share their notes. Time’s Alice Park explains why patients want to see their charts — and why many physicians are wary of the idea. Listen to the…
TIME Healthland: Can Patients Handle the Truth? Getting Access to Doctors’ Notes
by Alice Park The last time you were at the doctor’s office, and your physician scribbled or typed something into your chart, did you wonder what it said? If so, you’re in the majority: according to a new survey, more than 90% of patients said they would want to know. Not surprisingly, most doctors were…
Modern Healthcare: Patients should have easier access to their doctors’ medical notes
by Tom Delbanco and Jan Walker HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has taken an important step in launching the first national effort to give consumers electronic access to their laboratory results. We certainly agree with the secretary that “When it comes to health, information is power.” But at a time when all Americans are increasingly relying…
WGBH: When Patients Read What Their Doctors Write
The woman was sitting on a gurney in the emergency room, and I was facing her, typing. I had just written about her abdominal pain when she posed a question I’d never been asked before: “May I take a look at what you’re writing?” At the time, I was a fourth-year medical resident in Boston.…
The Wall Street Journal: Giving Patients Access to Doctor Notes
When patients finish a checkup, doctors record notes on a range of topics. A new study looks at what happens when those notes become available for the patient to read electronically. Laura Landro has details. Watch the Wall Street Journal video here.
NPR: Doctors Don’t Agree On Letting Patients See Notes
Every time you see the doctor, he or she writes a note about the encounter for the record. Normally you never see it. A lot of what’s in that note is objective stuff about your blood pressure, weight and blood count. But often your doctor puts down subjective impressions. Did you seem down? Anxious? Angry?…
