Patients surveyed at Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported positive experiences, increased knowledge and greater engagement in their care after given access to physician visit notes, according to a recent study published by BMJ Open.
The study looked at 576 responses from surveyed patients — 414 women and 162 men between the ages of 23 and 88. Regular note readers reported positive experiences that enhanced their perception of care quality. A commonly reported benefit was the improved understanding of health information.
However, nearly all respondents reported occasional errors in the notes, and some wanted some note restrictions that would allow physicians to deliver bad news face to face.
The study was a part of a national initiative to make the transparency of electronic medical records the standard of care.
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