OpenNotes Brochure

opennotes.org

Everyone on the Same Page

OpenNotes is an international movement that is transforming and improving health care by urging doctors, nurses, therapists, and other clinicians to communicate far more openly and effectively with patients. Its ultimate goal is to spread transparent medical records to patients, families, and clinicians around the world.

While still early in its evolution, OpenNotes is a call to action that has rapidly evoked a dramatic response. Already more than 39 million patients in 200 health systems across all 50 states have gained ready access to the notes their clinicians write.

To help both spread and implement this fundamental change in medical practice, OpenNotes is actively involved in education, consultation, public policy and research.

OpenNotes can grow this movement further, but only with generous public and philanthropic support.

“Reading OpenNotes, I was really understanding what it was all about” —LINDA JOHNSON, PATIENT

The Challenge The vast majority of US clinicians record their notes in electronic health records, but what they write has long been hidden from patients.

Inviting patients to read these notes through secure patient portals is technically easy. But convincing patients and clinicians to share notes routinely requires a fundamental change in the culture of medical practice.

Nevertheless, after pioneering studies pointing to striking clinical benefits from OpenNotes were first published in 2012, thousands of doctors, nurses, therapists and other clinicians in primary care, medical, surgical, pediatric, and mental health specialties are today sharing notes with their patients.

But they represent far less than 10 percent of the nation’s clinicians. What’s the ultimate goal for the OpenNotes movement? Fully transparent communication among patients, families and health professionals as a new standard of care.

“Let’s push until OpenNotes is the default standard for electronic health records everywhere” —CT LIN, MD

What We Are Learning Prominent medical journals have published more than 60 articles about OpenNotes, and mass media have highlighted many more. Why? OpenNotes can be transformative for both patients and their families. Studies demonstrate that patients reading medical notes report taking their medications more effectively, feeling greater control over their health and care, and engaging more actively with their clinicians in making decisions. Moreover, sharing notes increases trust and patient safety. And OpenNotes helps family, friends and care givers support patients in more coordinated and efficient ways.

OpenNotes may be most important for those in greatest need.

People with chronic illness, the elderly, those with limited education, racial and ethnic minorities, and the underserved report striking benefits from reading their notes.

More than

38 Million patients have access to notes

The elderly, the poor, racial minorities, and those chronically ill report the greatest benefits

40% of patients

share their notes with others Clinicians report that many patients find important errors

20% of patients

say they take their medications more effectively

We Need Your Generous Support OpenNotes has really just begun.

OpenNotes Leaders: Jan Walker, RN, MBA, Catherine DesRoches, DrPH and Tom Delbanco, MD

Where We Are Heading OpenNotes must continue to spread, but it needs also to become more deeply rooted in health care practice.

Moving forward, we’ll develop networks of health professionals and consumer collaborators. We’ll establish metrics for success and highlight standout systems that demonstrate the best of what OpenNotes can accomplish.

We’ll create dynamic educational campaigns targeting consumers, clinicians and institutions. And we’ll encourage transparent communication not only in office practice and clinics, but also through telemedicine from the home, on hospital inpatient wards, and in rehabilitative and chronic care facilities.

Building upon shared decision-making and emphasizing ways to contain costs, we’ll keep searching for ways to strengthen patient-clinician relations.

As an example, we are now piloting “OurNotes.” Patients across the country are learning to co-author notes with their clinicians, expressing, in their own words, how they have been doing and their prime goals for visits.

We need to spread it further, improve how it’s implemented, and develop new interventions based on a foundation of fully transparent communication.

It’s critical that OpenNotes retain its independence and safeguard its prized freedom from any and all conflicts of interest.

The OpenNotes movement can achieve its full potential only with your support.

To learn more from OpenNotes leaders, please contact: Catherine DesRoches, DrPH, or Tom Delbanco, MD cdesroch@bidmc.harvard.edu tdelbanc@bidmc.harvard.edu or visit www.opennotes.org

OpenNotes.org