Dive Brief:
- Nine health systems and organizations in Washington and Oregon have pledged to open up physician notes to patients using EMRs by the end of 2015.
- Once the effort is completed, it will increase the total number of patients with access to physicians notes by 50%—from 2 million to 3 million.
- The initiative was spearheaded by Open Notes, a group that grew out of a successful trial in 2012. Open Notes argues that when patients look at medical notes with their doctor, it helps to create a trusting relationship, which leads to better health.
Dive Insight:
This approach has been tried, and been largely successful, at three study sites funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In the first round, which included Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Geisinger Health System and Harborview Medical Center, open records improved patient adherence, and despite physicians' fears, sharing notes with patients didn't worry the patients or increase their workload. This current project is perhaps the largest implementation yet of open notes practices. Given how well things went in earlier trials, participants seem to have a good chance of success.