More US patients gain easy, free access to doctor’s notes
MoreU.S. patients have free, electronic access to the notes their doctors write about them under a newfederal requirement for transparency.
Many health systems opened up recordsNov.2, the original deadline. At the last minute, federal health officials granted an extension untilApril because of the pandemic.
Britta Bloomquist, of Duluth, Minnesota, has been reading her notes for years, first struggling through red tape and more recently clicking into a secure patientwebsite.
“It means information about your care can no longer be hidden fromyou. And you have a say in your care,” said Bloomquist, 32, whohas a rare type of arthritis.
What’s changing?
Patients have long had a right to their medical records, including doctor notes, but obtaining them could mean filling out requests, waiting for a response and paying fees. A2016 lawsaid delays and barriers must be removed.
If you already use a patient portal such as MyChart to email your doctor or schedule an appointment, youmay see newoptions allowing you to view your doctor’s notes and see your test results as soon as they are available.
Many peoplewon’t notice a change. About 15% of health care systems already are letting patients read doctor notes online without charge.
Will this helpme?
Studies have shown that patientswhoread their notes understand more about their health, take their medications as prescribed more often and feel more in control of their care.
That’s true for Bloomquist. Diagnosedwith a rare type of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, she had surgery to straighten her right leg in 2018. She gets regular drug infusions and sees multiple specialists. “Reading the notes has keptmeon the same page asmy providers about what’s going on,” she said.
Will I understand the jargon?
Youmay have to look up terms. Or ask you doctor to translate at your next visit. Doctor’s notes also tend to use abbreviations. And brace yourself if your weight is an issue.
“I’m a heavy-set person, OK? And their favorite word to use is obese,” said RosieBartel, 71, of Chilton, Wisconsin. “You have to get used to that. Doctors use thatword.”
ToBartel, reading notes means she’s doing what she can to prevent errors and stay healthy. “I don’t have to remember everything said tomein a 15-minute appointment.”
Whatif I spot an error?
Patients do find mistakes in their notes, and some are serious enough to affect their care, research has found. “Aclinician has
eyes on thousands of notes, but a patient has eyes only on one, so it has powerful safety implications,” said CaitDesRoches, director ofOpenNotes, a Bostonbased groupworking for greater access to patient notes.
Are there exceptions?
Psychotherapy notes don’t need to be shared with patients. And doctors can hold back a note if they think it will cause physical harm, such as a note about domestic violence if the abuser has access to the patient’s information. As for parent access to teenagers’ information, state laws vary, DesRoches said.
Whatdo doctors think?
Some doctorsworry thiswillmean more calls fromconfused patients. Dr. Marlene Millen ofUC SanDiegoHealth, which launched a pilot program for patients in 2018, said that’s not her experience.
Many patients aren’t interested in their notes and never read them, she said. Others do, but save her time because they arrive for appointments “and already knowwhat the next step in the plan is because they had read the prior note.”