Physician Opinions on Benefits of Open Visit Notes Vary

Annals of Internal Medicine

Primary care physicians (PCPs) have varied opinions about open access to doctors' notes; and most users of a personal health record (PHR) system are interested in sharing access to their information, according to 2 studies published in the December 20 issue of the .

Jan Walker, R.N., M.B.A., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues explored doctors' and patients' attitudes toward access to doctors' notes. Open visit notes were regarded as a good idea by 69 to 81% of the participating PCPs (who shared their notes), 92 to 97% of patients, and 16 to 33% of non-participating PCPs.

Compared to non-participating PCPs, participating PCPs and patients were more likely to agree on the potential benefits of open visit notes, including improved communication and patient education.

Read more at: http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/Article.asp?AID=659893

Source: Health Day