Reading physicians' notes directly from the electronic medical record system through an online patient portal left patients with a greater understanding of their health and feeling more in control of their care, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Starting in 2010, more than 100 primary care physicians affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., and Harborville Medical Center in Seattle volunteered to allow a combined 200,000 patients to read their EMR notes through a secure online portal.
Although the portals were used by a minority of patients, those who did use the portal reported feeling more engaged in their care, and more than two-thirds reported improved medication adherence. Additionally, physicians were surprised how few patients were upset or troubled by reading the unedited notes, considering the physicians did not modify or tone down the notes in any way.
After the first year, 99 percent of patients wanted access to their EMR notes to continue, and 85 percent said access to physicians' notes would affect their choice of care facility in the future.
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