OpenNotes, an international movement that supports the use of online patient portals to connect patients with their clinical notes, announced July 2 that more than 40 million patients now have access to notes written by their providers.
Three things to know:
1. OpenNotes is now used at 200 health systems in the U.S. and Canada, including Yuma (Ariz.) Regional Medical Center and Asante in Medford, Ore.
2. Research recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that 62 percent of patients consider web-based portal access to clinical notes as an important factor when searching for a new healthcare provider.
3. OpenNotes launched in 2010 at Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.