A study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, examines patient experiences with regard to accessing their provider's visit notes.
Researchers developed a patient feedback tool linked to OpenNotes as part of a pilot initiative focused on patient engagement. Between August 2014 and 2015, patients who visited two primary care teams participating in the pilot were asked what they liked about reading notes as well as how they felt about using a feedback tool
Patients and care partners submitted 260 reports, of which, 98.5 percent indicated that the OpenNotes reporting tool was valuable and 68.8 percent included what patients liked about reading notes.
Researchers found four themes describing what patients value about the notes:
● Confirm and remember next steps
● Quicker access and results
● Positive emotions
● Sharing information with care partners
They also identified four themes about patients' use of the notes and the feedback tool:
● Accuracy and correcting mistakes
● Partnership and engagement
● Bidirectional communication and enhanced education
● Importance of feedback
"Patients and care partners who read notes and submitted feedback reported greater engagement and the desire to help clinicians improve note accuracy," the authors concluded.