The Open Notes initiative which allows patients to access their doctors’ notes in the EHR has the potential to increase safety and care quality.
According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), access to the Open Notes program helps patients engage and increases their safety.
“What we heard from patients and doctors fell into recognizable categories – for example, catching medication errors, better remembering next steps and improved plan adherence, enhanced error reporting, improved coordination of care for informal caregivers of vulnerable patients with many providers and appointments, and reduced diagnostic delay.
“In many common safety categories, it appears that having the patient’s or an informal caregiver’s eyes on clinical notes can help ensure care is safer. Doctors review hundreds or thousands of charts; patients review one: their own,” said lead author Sigall Bell, MD, in the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in an announcement. “OpenNotes may have a unique role in connecting patients and clinicians in the space between visits.”
Read Katie Wike’s full article here!
