Empowering Patients with Open Notes in MyChart

When providers share clinical notes with patients, patients are more engaged in their care and better informed to make decisions about their health. NYC Health + Hospitals started to share notes by default in all specialties except behavioral health two and a half years ago. Since then, they have shared more than 1.4 million notes with patients in MyChart.

“I can better understand what’s going on with my health and I can make the necessary changes for a healthier lifestyle,” one patient said.

Notes are shared with patients in MyChart as soon as a provider signs them. When patients log in after their appointments, they see guidance on the home page about viewing new notes. Patients who don’t have a MyChart account are given sign-up instructions during their appointments.

“We want to empower all our patients and their families, particularly the most vulnerable, to be active participants in maintaining their health,” said Dr. Om Lala, one of the authors of NYC Health + Hospital’s study on the effects of open notes.

Read more from NEJM Catalyst. Epic community members can learn about a similar OpenNotes initiative at Kaiser Permanente on the UserWeb.