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…
patient safety
Patient Access to Electronic Health Records During Hospitalization
In 2001, the Institute of Medicine recommended improving patient engagement by providing continuous care, allowing patients to be the source of control and fostering transparency with patients and families. Electronic health records (EHRs) facilitate these objectives via the use of patient portals. Giving outpatients direct access to their health information helps clinicians find errors and improves patient satisfaction, although the implications of this type of access have not been well studied in the inpatient setting. This hospital-based study evaluates the experiences of patients, clinicians (including physicians and advanced practice providers), and nurses with immediate (real-time) release of test results and other EHR information through a patient portal.