OpenNotes Lab

A primary objective of the OpenNotes Lab is advocating for the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) that enhances trust and communication between patients and their care teams. The OpenNotes Lab is establishing an environment to test new initiatives in partnership with clinicians, patients and developers. In this context, the Lab will design, evaluate, and guide innovations in clinical documentation, medical records, and patient engagement.

Our primary questions are:

• How might health information technologies be used directly by patients to improve their ability to engage in care?
• As AI transforms interactions between clinicians and patients, how might we ensure it builds trust and understanding?
• How might AI support clinicians in service of patients?
• How might we ensure algorithms are trained and implemented in ways that respect the diverse needs and rights of the individual patients and clinicians they serve?

We are interested in partnering with:

• Health technology innovators and developers
• Health systems
• Patient advocacy organizations
• Professional associations
• Regulatory agencies

If you’d like to join our efforts, send us a message, and let us know what kind of collaboration you’re interested in. We’d love to hear from you.

OpenNotes is an international movement studying, spreading, and teaching transparent communication among patients, families, and clinicians. Based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a major Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, OpenNotes is a not-for-profit research and advocacy organization. We're motivated by evidence indicating that when clinicians offer patients and families ready access to clinical notes, the quality and safety of care improves. When clinical notes are shared with patients, we call these ‘open notes.’

Prior to the enactment of the U.S. 21st Century Cures Act information blocking rule of 2021, OpenNotes helped lead a movement that showed patients, care partners, and clinicians benefit from more transparent communication.

OpenNotes has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and commentaries focused on understanding the effects of transparency in healthcare. We have turned our wide-ranging body of research into practical, educational tools for both patients and clinicians.

WhereIsMyMedicalRecord.org and HowToUse.OpenNotes.org are web resources aimed at helping patients navigate their records, understand how to recognize and report information blocking, and get the most out of reading their notes. HowToUse.OpenNotes.org is also available in Spanish.

We also have robust web resources to help clinicians and health systems understand best practices in sharing notes, including in mental health, pediatric and adolescent contexts, and with care partners. Learn more about communicating more broadly with patients about open notes here. You can also access our full library of research here.